So Much for Conventional Love!
by Birdie num num
Summary: Mertil and Gafinalan just want to be left alone but apparently, that's just not their luck! Warnings: Mary sues! I edited this up to Chapter 8, and the other chapters are still in the process of being edited...
1. Mertil's Wish

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Animorphs, Mertil, Gafinalan, or Mr. DeGroot. I do own Kaetila and Daisy DeGroot however.

This fic is based off of book #40, The Other

I rewrote this chapter because looking back and reading it, I didn't like the first one. :P

In case you read this and other chapters don't make sense - I'm going through and editing so yeah, they might not. : ) Sorry for the inconvenience and I should have the editing done soon for ya!

**Chapter One - Mertil's Wish**

Gafinalan held back the moan of pain. I could see it in his eyes, in the way his face tightened at the very corners. I reached out a hand, to touch my friend's cheek, and he slapped it away in anger. I cringed.

His main eyes had closed and he opened them again. (I...I'm sorry, my friend,) he said softly. I eyesmiled sadly. (I...I just do not wish to be - )

(I know. Forgive me.) I said, getting up and pouring hot water from the tap into a bowl. I got a few small cloths together and went back to him and set them before him.

Gafinalan's eyes looked down at them, wearily. (Thank you my friend.) He picked up one, dipping it in the hot water, and then massaging joints with it. His nose huffed out air.

My hearts ached for my friend.

The disease was strange. Some days, there was great pain. Some days there could be no pain at all. But I was always there, always. I would never leave my friend. Not after he had been true to me through it all.

I took up another cloth and gently pressed it to his forehead, knowing he probably had a tension headache. He sighed and closed his eyes, relaxing his head back a little, and letting me gently massage his forehead with it.

(Th-thank you my friend...) he spoke softly and I eyesmiled again.

I had never, would never, love anyone as much as I loved my most beloved friend Gafinalan. I would never have a closer friend. I would never...

My hearts were in so much pain suddenly and I didn't know why. I suppose...just looking at him...just thinking 'I will never...' Looking at his muscles, once so tight and great, now clinging to his body so weakly, almost as if they'd rather just melt off of his bones. He was running less, exercising less, and so his muscles, technically, were just wearing off.

I dropped the rag, hurrying out of the room, and out the back door, not into the greenhouse, but into the enclosed yard.

(Mertil!) he cried.

I threw up, dry heaving really, onto the grass, and then I fell to my knees, trembling with the pain in me. I wished so much then that I was human, so that I could cry without shame. I was so tired of this! So tired of this game! This pretending that everything was...alright! That I was fine with this! That I would be able to let go of him...just like that.

(Mertil?) he called again, worried. Oh no! He had gotten himself up, to come out here, just for me.

I felt angry then. It always went back to feeling sorry for him! Feeling pity for him, when with the morph of an Andalite, the simple motion of morphing another, healthy body and staying that way, he and I could live together...Enjoy life together.

(I...hate you!) I cried, trembling, not caring if I looked weak. I was weak; what difference did it make if I looked it?

(Mertil...) he said softly, sadly. He trotted up to me, and then lowered himself, to rest his body by mine. I felt his flank press to mine in a comforting gesture only shared by the closest of friends among my people. He reached up a hand to playfully squeeze one of my eyestalks, as he had usually done when we were Arisths at the Academy, to get my attention.

I eyesmiled at him. (Forgive me.) I said. (There is no point in being angry with you.)

In truth, it didn't really matter if he morphed another Andalite, because they would never accept it. Our foolish people I had once thought so great and so proud, would never accept it. They would never accept us; a nothlit for life, and a morph-incapable vecol. I merely wished, however, for my friend at least, to be free from his disease. To live somehow.

(Let us go back inside.) Gafinalan told me. (It is getting dark.)

(Yes...) I agreed.

Wordlessly, I helped him stand and then we slowly went back into the house.


	2. Stalking Henry McClellan

And yet another edited chapter. I've created a little more depth to Daisy and I'll be fixing some more stuff later on in this story so if anything doesn't fit, just let me know in a review and I'll probably try to get around to it soon:)

**Chapter Two - "Stalking" Henry McClellan **

My name is Daisy DeGroot. Twenty one year old no-longer-_starving_ artist and high school dropout with a love life at zero.

I peered out the window of my kitchen again, curiously. Henry McClellan: cute resident Professor at the University closest to where we lived was my next door neighbor. Young and apparently well established already. Huh, now if only I was a gold digger and hadn't just gotten out of a really crappy relationship.

I still enjoyed myself some mornings watching him go out to his car. It was late evening, so no chance, about ten p.m. I did this a lot from the kitchen's window. Maybe a little stalker-ish, but it wasn't like he was gonna complain when he couldn't see me from behind the ancient, tacky drapes and dusty blinds.

"Mmm mmm," I said, sipping tea from my mug. "What type of woman are you into, Mr. McClellan? Or man?" Then I laughed at myself, shaking my head. "Little too soon for you to be thinking about dating again, don't you think Daisy?"

I sighed and dumped the rest out into the sink. I'd been living with my boyfriend, rather, my fiance, at his apartment...and...well...let's just say that I saw us together while he saw himself with someone else. And then, one day, I saw him with someone else too.

It had taken me a few minutes to gather up my brushes, canvases, sketch books, charcoals, and the few, grungy clothes I had at his place and stuff them into a box and some bags, while he hopped around with his pants around his ankles, trying to explain. Explain? What needed to be explained when he had such a gorgeous explanation right there in our bed?

I had sort of wandered around in my car after that; sleeping in parking lots, eating whatever I could buy with scavenged change, and finally just roaming and sleeping on benches when my car was towed. My parents died when I was a kid and I'd spent most of my teen years in foster care, so now I had no place to go. I had one biological Uncle, a lawyer that really didn't want to have anything to do with me.

After a while, I decided to find out about the remainder of my family. I sought my Uncle out and he gave me twenty bucks to get out of his office. After a few minutes, I managed to convince him I just wanted to know about the rest of the family, and I wasn't trying to come home and live with him or anything. (He's a real jerk.) He finally told me I had one living Grandmother named Sherrie. I'd forgotten all about Grandma Sherrie. The only thing I remembered about her by then was that she'd given me a Barbie one Christmas when I was like, five or six. I'd thought she was dead. He said she was in a nursing home. (Because he didn't want to take care of her.)

I sought out my Grandmother. After a few months of visiting her at the nursing home, I found that she was still pretty aware. I fell in love with her personality after a while; she was an old fashioned, but caring type of person. She wanted me to call her 'Nana.'

I convinced my Uncle to let me take care of her. If he could loan me some money, I would live with Sherrie, get a job, have a nurse come over to watch her when I wasn't home, and pay him back eventually. After a lot of signing, he finally agreed.

Nana had white, white hair, and spent most of her time talking to God (out loud) or reading the Bible or novels. She liked newspaper articles too, and she had this old album that she would paste some into - ones that she saw as important or interesting. We would play checkers most evenings.

"Daisy are you talking to yourself again?" Nana's rusty little voice found me in the kitchen. I smiled to myself, the world outside the window growing lighter. I sighed. At 9:30 the next morning, I had to go and open at the Quizno's restaurant where I worked. Then at 3:00 I would be off to my second job. See, I have to work two jobs to keep this place and to be able to take care of Nana and pay my Uncle back on time.

"Yeah Nana." I said, putting my mug down and walking over to her. "You know I'm crazy." I scratched at my hair which I keep short since it's kind of thick and just sort of sticks out everywhere anyway, no matter what I do. It's brown and plain, and so is my face.( I hate my freckles! ) Nana says I have nice eyes. They're very blue and I got them from her side of the family, I think. My mother had them too, I can remember.

"Nana, do you want to play some checkers before turning in?" I asked her, smiling and pulling out the tired old cardboard box that held our beloved past time.

* * *

Reviews are lovely and help let me know what people think of editing:D 


	3. All I have

Lots of editing was done to this one:) Enjoy!

**Chapter 3**

**Gafinalan**

We rested in the living room as we usually had begun to do. We usually slept in our own, hidden room with it's grass covered floor. But Mertil and I still needed to clear away the wreckage from our adventure with the Animorphs, so now we often ended up sleeping in the bedroom that was at the back of the house and with windows that faced the yard and greenhouse.

We were both quiet that evening, as usual. What did two males whose lives had both come to such dark and twisted ends have to say to one another? There was no joy in our lives except eachother's company, but no hope for honour for either, so our company was not merry. There was no light for us, no hope of love or marriage. No sons to be proud of and admire. No other Andalites even knew we were still alive. Any Andalite I had ever cared for on the home world probably thought I was dead and had moved on with their life.

Most evenings, Mertil and I would find something to entertain ourselves, such as listening to human music on the radio or watching the telivision in the living room. Absorbing this strange society we were surrounded by and yet could not entirely immerse ourselves into provided some amusement, even a means of escape and distraction from our pains for a while. Mertil enjoyed the 'crossword' puzzles in the newspaper. Sometimes he required my aide with unfamiliar human words and ideas.

(What is a four-letter synonym for 'chair,' Gafinalan?) he asked me, spying over the paper this time.

I thought for a moment. I was grading papers from the University where I still worked in disguise as a human. I was watched by Yeerks still, of course, but they did not seem concerned enough to desire to stop me. The Visser knew well that he had no use for either Mertil or myself now. We lived, for the most part, in peace.

(A 'seat.') I told him.

(Curious,) Mertil mused, filling in the word. An Andalite who cannot morph would not have such a concept as a 'seat.' I was quite familiar with a chair. I used one each day, sitting in my office at my desk.

Mertil was silent for a while, enjoying the puzzle. I could see the amusement in his main eyes at such odd vocabulary. I eyesmiled as I observed my friend for a moment. I was happy when Mertil was peaceful and not fussing over me or worrying over my pains. It was worth it sometimes to not even mention it as the pain grew, just to be able to see him relaxed and enjoying himself, even over something so small. My greatest fear for my dearest friend was the isolation that would face him when I died. I knew he would never desire to share the forest with that snotty, upstart Aristh, and while one Animorph seemed to pay a special interest in him, I sensed that he would be alone most of the time.

My eyes settled on his tail stump - a grotesque and painful reminder of those early days after our crash. I was not uncomfortable looking at his tail stump, for I had looked at it often to clean it and make sure it was healing properly. But it grieved me all the same, of course. Remembering those early days, I could feel the edge of the agonizing guilt that had threatened to destroy what was left of my sanity and desire to live when I saw what I had done to my friend with so careless a mistake at the helm of my fighter. Now Mertil was maimed horribly and for the rest of his life, since he could not morph. He would always be isolated, and no normal Andalite other than myself, would ever be able to look beyond his tail stump and see the good, decent Andalite attached to it.

I sensed Mertil's eyes watching mine after a moment, and I quickly looked away. He had finished his crossword, I noticed. He spoke.

(What if...)

(What Mertil?) He was speaking too softly. (What is it?) I asked gently.

(What if...what if I had died? I...) his breathing was shallow and sharp. I instantly regretted staring so openly at the very core of his humiliation.

(I am glad you did not, Mertil.) I said truthfully and quickly.

(What...what if I had died, though? I...surely I would not be...I would not be...)

(What, Mertil?)

He said nothing more for a while. I began to worry. His body was fine, but...his sanity... I moved over to sidle him.

(Mertil?) I said, shaking his shoulder gently. (Be what, Mertil?)

(A...a worthless, disgusting, piece of t-trash!) He cried out, the pain welling in his eyes.

(MERTIL!) I said, angrily.

(A filthy, grotesque, spineless, cowardly little-)

(Mertil!) I said, now feeling more hurt than angry, really.

(VECOL! A dependant, weak, sniveling wretch of a-)

(Mertil, _stop it!_) I yelled, grabbing his shoulders.

(used-to-be warrior! A filthy, useless nobody! A horrible, hideous-)

(MERTIL! I SAID STOP IT!) I screamed at him in thoughtspeak.

He fell silent, ashamed, trembling quietly with sorrow. Andalites cannot cry in the sense that humans do. We cry in our hearts, and it hurts there, I think, just as much as it must for humans.

I groaned in pain and rubbed my forehead. He looked up at me, still shaking, now looking guilty.

(Gafinalan? Gafinalan! Are you alright?) I shook my head. (Oh, I'm sorry Gafinalan, I didn't mean to make you feel-)

(No! No, no. It is not you. You did not...) I sighed and rubbed my head, now pounding with a headache. My back hurt too.

(Come, Gafinalan.) He said, gently. He slowly stood up on all four of his hooves, an often difficult task without a tail to balance him. He then put his hands underneath my arm.

(No Mertil, I am fine! I do not need your help,) I laughed, incredulous at how he was always eager to help an Andalite at least a hundred Earth pounds heavier than he, and much larger in size.

(Come now, let me help you!) He pulled away from me as I stood and tried to get him to lie back down. ( You are worrying me. You should take more naps during the day!)

(Oh for goodness sakes, Mertil!) I laughed, exasperated. (You sound like a mother!)

But he merely eyesmiled and tried to support my torso with his shoulder. It was funny, really. Sort of comical. After all, he could hardly be expected to support me! But I let him help me out of the living room to the bedrooms.

He helped me onto one of the beds. It was more comfortable for me to lie on, as my muscles were...weakening. My whole bone structure was becoming more delicate, as much as I hated to admit it, so much as even think about it, so if I tried to sleep standing as Andalites normally do, I would fall down somewhere in the night, giving me a bad shock and possibly bruises. If I slept on the floor, there would be definite bruises. Thus, the strange and fluffy human bed was inevitable.

Mertil himself lie on his stomach on the floor, eyesmiling a little at me. I could remember the first time he had tried to stand in that instant, without his tail, and the memory made my hearts ache. I could also remember the first night he had realized that he had to sleep on his belly now, since sleeping on his hooves required balance. I could remember the shame in his face, as he lowered himself to sleep while I stood and kept guard in the dark forest in which we hid.

I lay silently, waiting for him to speak. I knew he wanted to talk about something, but I had no idea what it could be. Other than crosswords and human culture, we never really conversed of much else, our old lives being almost a taboo subject.

(Ga-Gafinalan?) He said, sounding tired and at the very edge of his wits. He was still shaking. I longed then to hold him with Andalite arms as humans did with eachother. Since the day we met as children, I knew that Mertil was the shorm of my destiny. I knew he would never betray me or hurt me or let me down. To see him this way...it was like being in the 'Hell' that some humans believed in.

(Yes Mertil?) I said, gently. I was so tired. So tired from the pains of the day, and the worrying over the stress and sorrow it caused my friend. Oh it had worn me down. Made my stomachs churn and weakened me. I was always growing weaker...I could feel it. Never slowing, and it would never stop. _Soola's disease_ was well on it's way, eating away at my system.

(D-do you remember...er...) He sighed. (Do you remember Darischa?)

I thought a little. My pounded with each beat of my hearts.

(Eh...Darischa...Darischa...) I tried to remember. (Oh! Darischa, that...that nurse, right? She was a nurse was she not?!)

(Yes!) He said, happily. (Yes, she was a nurse! Goodness, Gafinalan! You have the memory that would make anyone jealous!) He was smiling and sitting up straight, now. His eyes were shining and he looked strangely happy; as if he'd just gotten back from visiting Darischa. (I had actually forgotten she was a nurse...Can you...can you believe it?)

(Yes well,) I said, eyesmiling. (It has been so long since we were on the home world...so much has happened. I mean, I would remember her. You two were going to get married were you not?) I stopped suddenly. I looked at him again.

His eyes were hazy. He was just staring at the bed below me.

(Y-yes. Yes...we _were_...) The poor fellow. He sounded dazed. It frightened me, the look in his eyes. When Andalites have gone through as much trauma as Mertil had experienced, in so short a time period, their minds begin to break. It is difficult to explain. Humans experience this too, from what I can tell, but oddly enough from what I have seen, they seem to have a higher threshhold mentally for stress than we Andalites. Andalites are wired with optimism, but I have never seen such determination and ambition as I have in humans.

I eyesmiled and tried to change the conversation, (Ah, I remember the _academy! _Remember the academy, Mertil?)

He smiled sadly at me, a little bitterly. (Yes, Gafinalan. I remember the academy. It was where she and I met.)

(Oh, well I-) I laughed a little, nervously. I had forgotten about that as well. 'Fool!' I thought.

(It is alright, Gafinalan. Good night. Sleep well.)

(Mertil-) I started to get up.

But with that, he left the room. Angry at myself and him, and ashamed, I lie back down and tried to drift off.

I sighed. I should have just talked with him about her. He had obviously wanted to. He_ needed _to...

Why hadn't I?

Reviews please:)


	4. An Unusual Warrior

**Chapter 4 - An Unusual Warrior**

**Kaetila-Aerrin-Nalmun**

I closed my eyes, trying to think of something else besides all the nights I had been unable to sleep in peace, because some warrior, some prince would...ugh. I had been trying to get some nice, peaceful sleep. So much for that! Horrible dreams...no...nightmares of all the years of roughness and molestation pervaded my thoughts every time I tried to sleep.

I sighed and resigned myself to remaining awake an hour more at least. But no more nightmares. That had been when I was younger. Now, I could fight! I could defend myself. I didn't have to take it anymore. To take the abuse during the 'night' hours of the ship and stand at attention to the same perverts during duty.

Anyway, on this ship, it was just me, Captain Zalismaine, Pilot and Commander Gonrod, Prince Ylairn, a few other warriors, and three arisths. We were a fairly small crew for such a huge ship. It was a Dome of course. A rather old piece of junk though. No new Domeships could be spared. Especially for the crew with the lone, female Warrior in all the Andalite military...

I smiled proudly at my reflection in the little pool of water in my quarters. Ah, yes, Warrioress Kaetila-Aerrin-Nalmun, soon to be Princess Kaetila- Aerrin-Nalmun. See, when you accidently save an Andalite commander's life by jumping in between him and a Dracon beam, you tend to get rewarded. I started out as merely part of a project: fifty female Arisths. I was the only one to stay, to make it this far and I was proud. I still got subtle insults from Andalite Princes and Captains communicating over from other ships, about how I was merely here because the 'right person' had found me attractive or I had blackmailed my way up the ranks in lewd, perverse ways (only partially true, really). But in reality, I felt that I had made it through more than any male Warrior ever had.

There was the little, nagging, empty space in my hearts that I couldn't fulfill. Relationship, after relationship, with eager warrior, after snooty prince, after eager warrior...

(You know Kaetila,) I said looking to my reflection in the polished walls of my new and larger quarters. (Perhaps if you actually selected with males who didn't happen to be already married, you might have some luck.)

It was true. I'd had relationships with at least three males who, by the way, were married and I either knew and decided I did not care, or they simply had not told me. And me, being foolish, pathetic, desperate me...well...I did not exactly break it off with them right after I found out. I usually stayed with them until one day, they left me or shut me out.

(You really are quite bright are you not?) I sneered. (You of all females have managed to work your way this far, and what have you done except cause yourself humiliation?)

So much for love...

I went down the hallway, to the main bridge, deciding to be of some use instead of falling into my typical self-pity. I saw Gonrod relaxing at his controls. He was on the last mission to Earth, so the Andalite government had been surprisingly lenient with him, coward or no. I did not know exactly how he had gotten out of a definite prison sentence, but I knew that I did not really care. If Zalismaine trusted him, so did I.

I ignored nervous Gonrod, and went straight up to Zalismaine. He and I have sort of a father-daughter bond. He was certainly old enough to be my father.

(Hello Warrior Kaetila!) He called cheerily. The dear old fellow. He highly approved of my promotion; perhaps because he'd seen me in battle! I eyesmiled deeply. I'd never held so much respect for anyone in my life, even my own parents I am ashamed to say.

(Good evening, Captain.)

(Why are you not resting? You are off duty for the next few hours!) I smiled again at the concern in his main eyes.

(I could not sleep!) I waved my hand, dismissing his worries. (I wanted to be of some use.)

He eyesmiled. (You are always useful, Kaetila. I have never known a Warrior who works as hard as you.)

I did not ever want him to call me 'Warrioress' the way the proper title demanded. I cannot explain it except to say that the way Zalismaine called me 'Warrior' was not to be stubborn, but simply was because he saw me as equal to male warriors, and perhaps, even a little superior to some he had seen.

Gonrod scowled. Gonrod does not approve of my promotion. Of course I do not really care what he thinks, but it still annoys me when he scowls like that at the Captain's and mine's comraderie. I guess he thinks the captain should treat me like dirt; what standard military treatment of a female officer would be, were there female officers other than myself. But I was used to that by now.

Not to say there hadn't been those who had treated me with the respect I deserved. Of course, those were usually the married Andalites I'd had "little flings" with. Little flings that often ended in a broken heart. For me, anyway.

They got a little romance. Sometimes even a few passionate nights. And when it was over, 'I'm going on leave for a year...I must spend time with my wife... Oh I'm sorry. I thought you knew I was married... Well, anyway, I must get back home now! I'll always think of you!' or 'You know I care for you Kaetila...but she is my wife!'

Leaving me, each time, feeling a bigger fool than before, and feeling used and dirty. I would feel as if I would never be clean again.

I looked at the front screen. We were going to Earth for various reasons. The main to present a front to the Yeerks, of course, but mostly to find Aximili-Esgarrouth- Isthill and bring him home. To fight on the side of his people where he belonged.

I smiled at the image of him as I brought it up again. He was very cute. Most little arisths were. I assumed he was less of an aristh now, though. Most likely very mature compared to the arisths on the ship; Kalurai, Empeth, and Bwalkithtrith. They are pretty respectful little fellows. They are young, of course; not all prejudice like the older males. They respected me pretty well, because they knew my abilities. Bwalkithtrith, the youngest and the smallest one, by far, had a rather embarrassing little crush on me. I was glad he wasn't on the bridge right now! He was always following me around, bashful and smiling, and always trying to help. I finally just resorted to sending him on little errands about the ship just so he'd leave me alone for a while.

Prince Ylairn was also taking a bit of an unhealthy interest in me, career wise, I mean. He'd once appraised me as being 'elegant' (in his own words!). I had found it an embarrassingly lovely compliment, but all the same, I did not want a relationship right then. Or, I kept trying to tell myself that anyway. I needed time to...to figure things out in my life when it came to males. Of course, I found absolutely no problem_ flirting _with him. Prince Ylairn was, after all, single and extremely attractive.

Captain Zalsmaine broke into my pleasant thoughts, urgently. I had been gazing into the screen.

(We have arrived!) he announced to the ship, eyesmiling at me and Gonrod. Two other warriors appeared on the bridge after a moment, and began to assist at the controls.

(Sir!) One cried. (Incoming message from a Blade ship!)

My hearts beat loudly in my ears. I knew whose blade ship it was! Then, I jumped as heavily scarred, Andalite face appeared on the screen.

(Abomination!) Captain Zalismaine cried. (What could you possibly have to say to me?)

(Well, well. What have we here? Zalismaine! An old friend of Alloran's! How nice...how nice to see you, indeed...and who is _this_?) I began to quiver as I realized all four of his host's eyes were on me. I shuddered.

He laughed and it was cold and mirthless. I glared back at him. He stopped laughing suddenly and sneered at me.

(Do not worry, Andalite filth. I'm not in the least bit attracted to a little piece of meat like you.) He laughed again, cruelly. (Well, you are all very, very _welcome_ to Earth.)

Zalismaine spoke to me, breaking through my terror. (Princess! We must get the fighters out! They will attack in minutes!)

(Yes Captain!) I said, as he shut off the screen, and cut off Visser Three in mid-sentence. I laughed. I could just imagine his absolute fury at being cut off and ignored like an Aristh! I hurried down the shaft to the hangar.

I ran to my fighter, as did the other warriors. Even Prince Ylairn entered his fighter, next to mine. He eyesmiled charmingly at me and I forgot for a moment why I was going to my fighter.

(May your flying and your Shredder be as accurate and swift as that tail of yours, Warrior Kaetila) he said. I shook myself and tried to focus.

(Aaaah you as well, my Prince!) I eyesmiled shyly back, my hearts in my ears again. I slipped into my fighter and closed the hatch behind me.

Zalismaine's face appeared on my fighter's screen. (Good luck Warrior Kaetila! May the stars shine on your victory!)

I eyesmiled back at him. (You too, my dear Captain.)

I knew I would need luck. Of course, I had no idea it would have nothing to do with battle...


	5. Battle in the Sky

Ah, editing. One of the joys of being a fanfiction writer who looks back and sees how incredibly bad her writing used to be and feels the urge to just deleted it all but likes the story so she finds herself just slaving through and editing it. (Takes a breath)

Anyway, here we go. :)

**Chapter 5 - UFO's?**

**Mertil**

I felt so foolish. I should not have pushed talking about her, but I could not stop _thinking_ about her. About all that we had been...about all that we_ could have been...  
_  
My hearts aching, I headed to the greenhouse for some fresh air. My body was in pain from tension. Worrying about Gafinalan, worrying about what to say and what not to say. I rested on my belly, on the cool concrete floor of the greenhouse, trying to sort out my feelings. 'Sitting,' I mused. 'Humans would call this sitting, perhaps?'

I looked with all four eyes up at the stars. On Earth it gets so very dark at night and you can see billions of stars. Gafinalan says that in the human cities it is harder to see, but since we lived out a little way from all of the city lights, and closer to the fields and forests, I could see many lights at night. I liked to located the home star.

I would ponder sometimes, about how life would be for us if we returned home. Gafinalan and I would be discharged from the military. We would probably have been resigned to staying at our family scoops and since I have no family left alive, I would have come to live with him. We would still be isolated, and we would still only have eachother. The only difference would be the pain of knowing for sure whether Darischa had remarried. So I was comforted, oddly enough, in knowing that at least here, Gafinalan and I were somewhat in peace. It was not terribly comforting, but I was glad, not to have to face Andalite society the way I was. I would never have to bear the pain of ridicule from more than the Aristh Aximili or any other eyes upon me than Gafinalan's, and his eyes were sympathetic.

Then I was startled as I saw something very interesting...I stood slowly. A small light was gliding through the dark night sky of Earth!

Then...more lights! Several, all over the sky! And...beams! Like..._Shredder fire!_ Explosions!

(Impossible!) I laughed, feeling something warm filling my hearts...excitement and hope again!

I could only see distant lights. Firings of ship dracons and shredders, but the thrill of seeing them there - things that were so familiar that had yet become so alien to me, in this new life as a virtual prisoner on an alien world.

(The Andalites!) I cried happily. _(They have arrived!) _

I ran inside, stumbling over the back steps and through the kitchen, whipping my...well...whipping my tail in my mind. I ignored the sensation of the ghost limb, not wanting to let it drain me of this joy.

(GAFINALAN!!!)

(What?) He jumped up, causing him to hurt his own back.

(GHAAA! Ugh! Ahhh!) He winced and lay back. He glared up at me. (What in the stars is going on?!)

(A BATTLE! Between the Andalites and the Yeerks!) I rambled. (I can scarcely _believe_ it! They're here! They're here!) I ran back out of the bedroom, hoping he'd follow me to the greenhouse.

(_What?_ Mertil, are you sure you're alright?!) his eyes were large and full of worry in the near dark.

(No, really Gafinalan! Look, you _Aristh!) _I laughed and pulled up the blinds to the bedroom window.

He scrambled up from the bed and moved next to me, looking up in the window.

High up in the stars, the lights blazed. Gafinalan stared. His eyestalks turned to meet mine. Then we grinned at eachother with our main eyes.

(Do you not see Gafinalan?! It is happening! The War on Earth will be over soon!)

(Hold on, Mertil!) he said, though he was still eyesmiling. I could only smile back, feeling his excitement at this too. (We can only hope that they brought enough people...)

I felt myself growing sober at his thought. But in the next moment he was grinning again.

(Oh that we could _help_ them somehow! That we could be up there with them!) I looked at him and his main eyes seared my hearts with pride then, for they burned with a light even greater than that of those in the sky.

(Ohh I know what you mean!) I moaned, bumping my forehead against the glass.

(Well, we can watch, at least,) I could hear the bitterness in his voice, however. We could 'at least' watch, yes, but there was no joy in watching for either of us. There is no _joy_ in fighting, of course, but there is _pride_ at least. My hearts ached again for my friend and I and I longed with my very soul to be up there amongst my Andalite cousins fighting the Abomination's minions.

We watched intently as the lights moved in the sky. We could not really tell in the end who was winning or losing. At last, however, the Shredder lights began to diminish, and we could only see a few Dracon fires here and there.

(Ohhh what does it mean?) I groaned. (You saw only Dracon fires last, yes?)

(Yes...) he said quietly, all four of his eyes intently searching the sky. (I saw only Dracon fires...Oh we could have communicated with them Mertil...if I'd only had that room set up!) he slammed his tail against the wall angrily. Then he cried out and clutched at his lower back with a hand.

(Aaaaauuugh!)

(Gafinalan!) I cried out, tearing myself away from the window after seeing one last red light and another explosion. I moved to help my friend.

(The window!) he cried, brushing my hands away. (I saw one last Dracon fire...what about you?)

(Yes, I saw it too. And there was-)

(An explosion.) We looked to eachother, the words unspoken.

Then we searched the skies again. Nothing.

(Well...we shall know soon enough, somehow...) he said quietly.

(Perhaps we can contact the Animorphs?) I said.

(Perhaps,) his eyes grew dark, and I knew I would have an easier time getting him to trim all of the fur from his body with his own tail blade, than contact the Animorphs again, even just for information.

We resigned ourselves to sleep then. But I slept on the floor near the window, and Gafinalan moved as close to the same window on the bed as he could. I drifted off gazing out of the window at the night sky.


	6. Unbelievable Loss

DISCLAIMER: Same as usual.

This has also been edited!

**Kaetila-Aerrin-Nalmun**

I watched in horror as my fighter was struck.

(Aaaaah!) I screamed. (_Yarshan!) _

I felt like panicking, but this was not the time to panic! But I was going to crash and burn if I did not do something quickly! I searched desperately at the cold, dark surrounding space. The Bug fighter that had hit me now moved on to others, leaving me to burn. The other warriors and princes were doing their best in their own fighters, but I could see we were not doing well - we were far outnumbered by the Yeerks in this battle.

(_AAAAAH!) _I heard a thoughtspeak scream in my head as someone's fighter blew.

(Kaetila!) My communicator came on. (_Kaetila!) _It was Captain Zalismaine!

The great domeship's bridge was over to my left. The dome, containing the three arisths, had been detached, and was a little ways behind it.

(We see your fighter burning, but we can't get to you the blade ship-)

(Do not worry about me!) I screamed back, though feeling completely opposite to what I was saying. I was terriffied at the idea of dying out here, all alone, but I could not have Zalismaine picking favorites! (Destroy the Blade ship!)

Captain Zalismaine was silent. Then, sorrowfully. (V-very well, my dear.)

(Don't worry about me, my friend. I can take care of myself, remember?)

(Y-yes but-)

(Princess!) a different voice called over the communicator and I eyesmiled as I recognized the voice. Prince Ylairn!

(Ylairn! By the stars it's good to see you!) His fighter swooped alongside mine.

(I'll have you out of this in no time,) he said, sounding determined. I felt relief, and another, goofier feeling bubble up inside me.

(Good work Ylairn!) Zalismaine said. (Now I'm going to see if we can get rid of these slugs!)

I looked over to the enemy. The bug fighters had all disappeared...strange...

A long, sleek, Blade ship glided into vision...

(Oh no.) I whispered. (CAPTAIN ZALISMAINE! WATCH OUT! VISSER THREE-)

FSEEW! A Dracon beam lanced out!

_WUHBOOM! _The bridge was destroyed.

(NOOO!) I screamed, and actually reached forward and put my hands against the glass of my vision field.

(What the-?! _Dapsen!) _I heard Prince Ylairn cry out next to me.

I was frozen. I could only think in shock of the now dead Captain Zalismaine- the only Andalite male to be like a father to me.

(No...) I moaned. (No...)

I watched then, in horror, as the Blade slowly turned to the arisths and the dome...

(_NOOO!) _I screamed. (You bastards! Keep away from them! You filthy slugs! Leave them alone!) I cried, desperation rising in me. I looked around in my fighter, struggling with my controls, unable to do anything.

(I'm going for him!) Ylairn said. (Stay here, love- I'll be back!)

'Love...' I thought. He'd called me 'love...' I forced myself to focus.

(NOO! Don't go! They'll only kill you too-) I felt so selfish.

(Kaetila!) he cried, shocked, and I felt ashamed. Then he said softly (I've got to try!)

(Y-yes...) I said, (Forgive me.)

(It's nothing, my love,) he said softly and his communicator shut off.

His fighter left mine. I watched as he moved quickly forward.

He fired at the blade! It took some damage, but it was futile. It was too big, too great to be affected by some little fighter's shredder beam!

It ignored him and fired on the dome instead.

I looked and saw the arisths panicking. Through the distance, I could hear Bwalkithtrith's voice in my head.

(Goodbye, Princess Kae-) He said simply.

(_NOOOO!) _I screamed again, falling to the floor of my ship sobbing and watching in horror as the dome blew apart. The shock waves from it began to move my fighter away. Towards Earth.

(Empeth!) Ylairn cried out in agony. Empeth had been his little cousin. He began firing at the ship in rage. (BURN ALL OF YOU FILTHY SLUGS!) He yelled.

(Ylairn!) I screamed. (No! Escape while you can-)

The blade fired, one last time.

Ylairn's fighter blew apart. I stared in horror as the remains of it trailed through the stars. I fell onto my belly.

This time, I lay there, and did not get back up.

(No, no, no...)

I was alone...This was a nightmare...It had to be!

And while I cried, and did not notice at first, my fighter slowly, very slowly, was pulled in by Earth's gravity...

Reviews please!


	7. What to do?

**Gafinalan**

Reluctantly, I contacted Marco, the human that had offered his friendship to Mertil once when I was not home. Mertil had told me of it and I was able to find the phone number Marco had written down for him. Humans use strange objects called 'telephones' to communicate, that involve miles of interconnected cables."

"Hello human Marco," I said. "It is Henry McClellan."

"Oh, hey Henry how's it going?" Marco said. I raised an eyebrow at his superficial tone.

"It is...fine." I asked, feeling slightly annoyed. "I have something to tell you-"

"Yeah, that was pretty funny. That teacher's such an idiot. I didn't know what he was talking about! Anyway, um...I can't talk right now, Henry. Unless you wanted to talk about the project due in Physical Science?"

What was he playing at? I decided perhaps he was talking in code.

"Y-yes. The project. I have...some suggestions to offer. If you were looking up at the sky tonight, you would have noticed it was very bright and clear..."

"Yeah, I bet. Funny, my friend Alex is here and he said he saw some pretty awesome stars. Maybe we could come over and talk about that tomorrow?" I assumed by 'Alex' he really meant Aximili.

"Um, no, I don't think that would be necessary," I said, wanting to avoid humans in my yard again as much as possible. "I just thought I would give you the tip."

"Alright. Well...if you do want to discuss things...Just give me a call again."

"I will. You have a good night."

"You too. Bye," he hung up.

I hung up too, with a sigh. Then I turned around to notice Mertil standing there.

(Who were you talking with?)

I began to demorph to my Andalite body. I groaned as the pain increased more and more as my Andalite body returned. Mertil reached out to help me when I nearly fell to the floor, crippled by it. I moved back a little, my torso hunched over, from his reach.

(No...I'm fine,) I took a few deep breaths and straightened. (I was talking with the human Marco. I told him about the stars. Apparently Aximili has seen the same thing.)

(Really?) Mertil said. (Did he see anything beyond the large blast?)

(I...did not get details,) I said.

(Oh...) Mertil said softly.

(I could try contacting Marco tomorrow,) I said. (And asking him, if you wish?) I wanted to make up for when I had not wanted to talk about Darischa. Mertil must have sensed it for he eyesmiled at me.

(Thank you, but you don't have to. I am merely curious.)

(I know I do not have to. But I wish to.)

He eyesmiled again. (Thank you Gafinalan.)

(There is no need to thank me, my shorm. Now, let us get some rest.)


	8. Crash landing and a Capture

This chapter has been rewritten, so I hope you enjoy it more now! I used parentheses for thought speech in this one because for some reason it's not allowing the arrows.

**Kaetila**

(Aaaah!) I cried in thought speech as I frantically pushed buttons on the panels. I was hurtling down to Earth! If I didn't do something to slow this down soon I would be crash landing. Once again, this was looking like a nightmare that felt horribly real.

As I stopped for a moment and stared at the quickly approaching surface of the planet, I entertained the notion of just letting myself crash. But that would be selfish – I had to survive, at least to help the Andalite bandits.

WARNING! SEVERE DAMAGE! EARTH'S GRAVITATIONAL PULL BECOMING HAZARDOUS! The computer warned.

(I KNOW, YOU IDIOT COMPUTER!) I screamed, hysterically, my patience snapping. Why couldn't computers tell you useful things in emergencies rather than the obvious?

(Ohh... I groaned. What am I going to do?) I searched for a button that might release a parachute…anything to slow down the fighter. Then I realized it would probably be more sensible to just find something that would cushion my body if I did crash land, which was looking more likely by the second.

Meanwhile, my ship hurtled faster down to the planet. Flames came up around the ship. It was speeding up. We were in atmosphere!

WE ARE NOW IN ATMOSPHERE! The computer said dully. IMPACT MAY BE DEADLY DUE TO DESTRUCTION OF LANDING EQUIPMENT!

I watched as we zoomed down through puffy, white clouds.

(Oh. No.) I said, now staring, transfixed at the ground.

FWOOOSH! Flames engulfed the outside of the ship.

(Aaaaah!) I screamed as I was flung to the back wall. Ow! My back! I closed all four of my eyes, terrified, and began to repeat the ritual of death.

(I…I am the servant of my people.) It was a lie. I had only ever been the servant of myself. I continued anyway. (I am the servant of my prince, I am the servant of honor…) I stopped, realizing I didn't want to spend the final moments of my life lying to myself. I thought of the last Prince I had served, Prince Ylairn. I felt so much shame that I had panicked on him like some kind of child. Now I was alone, the last of the warriors of my ship.

All because I was a coward. And instead of dying a death of bravery like the others had, I would die a failure's death – the last alive simply because I hadn't fought well enough.

(No,) I said. (I…I am not a coward.) I opened all four of my eyes. I had tried. I had tried to fight, and now I would face my death.

The ship hurtled down, and down, and down, and

BOOOOM!

It hit the ground. I was thrown forward. I landed hard, on the panel, bouncing off and landing on the busted glass of my shield.

(Oh! Ahh!) I lay in pain. Glass pieces had cut into my back and my sides.

I slowly began to black out as I just lay there, in pain. I found it difficult to breathe, as I had hit the control panel with my chest, and it had knocked the wind out of me. I looked down with my eyestalks and saw my chest quickly turning purplish.

Had to get up...had to morph and demorph so I wouldn't... The Yeerks...they would come...they would find my ship and if I were still...

I woke later from the pain. It was early morning. My vision was still dazed and blurred though. I sucked in breath through my nose desperately and my chest was again pierced with agony as I breathed.

(Ah!)

That was when I saw the two Hork-Bajir standing over me. No...one...my vision was making doubles...

"Visser, I think I found one!" He pointed something at me - a Dracon beam. I nearly screamed but I was too weak.

HE now stood over me, looking down at me.

(Well well well..). Visser Three, the Yeerk warlord in control of Earth chuckled. (What have we here? Yes...I recognize you. Hmm...You're a little banged up. Here, why don't you come with me?)

(N-no...) I protested weakly, raising my right arm. I stared at it in shock.

It was covered in glass cuts and glass protruding from those cuts.

He chuckled again at my dazed expression of shock at them.

(Oh but I do not think you are in any condition to refuse.)

"Visser, her chest-"

(Yes, yes, I know,) his stalk eyes were looking at my chest. His main eyes were set on mine and he gave me a fake sweet smile. (Don't worry-) Then I couldn't hear much of what else he said. I was blacking out from pain again...And it was so hard to breathe suddenly.

(My my,) he was now saying to his subordinate. (We'll just take her back to the nice big Blade ship with us and get her all fixed up for her new master.) He laughed again.

(N-noo...) I sobbed, and fell back, exhausted, unconscious, as several Hork- Bajir grabbed my legs and began to drag me away...to the Blade ship.


	9. Snoopy Neighbor Strikes Again

  
  
Daisy  
  
McClellan was jogging down the street to the university the next morning. I was walking out to my car. I smiled at him.  
  
"Hello Mr. McClellan." I called and waved. "How's everything."  
  
He stopped. Looked a little surprised. Smiled politely.  
  
"Oh, ah, everything's ah,...fine. Just...just fine..." He began to walk quickly, nervously down the street again.  
  
"Uh, Mr. McClellan?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I was...wondering. A little worried about, well..."  
  
"What?" He said quickly, urgently.  
  
"Oh, just. Well, you see, this van came up to your house. I mean it's always coming and-"  
  
"Plant delivery." He said quickly, then smiled. It looked like a rather forced smile.  
  
"Oh." I said, really quite impressed at his dedication to his flowers. I was also a little puzzled.  
  
He smiled, nodded, and turned to go when I said. "I, ah...uh...noticed your greenhouse!" I squeaked, intensely curious.  
  
He stopped dead in his tracks. He turned slowly.  
  
He looked fearfully at me a little. That look...it was a look of terror, almost a warning look...  
  
It frightened the daylights out of me, whatever it was...  
  
He smiled, nodded slowly. "Y-yes...my...greenhouse...I like plants, you see...it's a sort of a...hobby for me..."  
  
I smiled. "That's wonderful. Ahm... what...kind of plants are they?"  
  
He laughed a little, akwardly.  
  
"I-I mean, um...are they...for the university? Or...you know...like...Some kind of experiment, maybe?"  
  
He smiled, genuinely this time, as if a little amused. "No...they are...merely for me."  
  
I smiled, nodded. "Well...that's...nice." I said softly.  
  
He grinned. "Thank you." He nodded to me as he said it. "Ah, have a nice day Miss ah..."  
  
"Daisy." I finished for him. I put my hand forward. "Daisy Andrews."  
  
He smiled, and slowly took my hand. He gently, but strongly shook it. "Nice to meet you Miss Andrews."  
  
"Please, Daisy!"  
  
"Daisy." He nodded and smiled, and with that, turned and began to walk away.  
  
"Goodbye Mr. McClellan!" I called after him.  
  
"Ah, Gaf-...Henry!" He called back.  
  
"Henry!..." I stared, now even more curious and more puzzled. "Have a nice day Henry!"  
  
He waved back, and then continued walking, strolling along.  
  
I stared after him a while.  
  
He had been about to say something else...  
  
But what? 


	10. Uh, where am I!

DISCLAIMER: Same as usual.  
  
Yeah, yeah, I know! My other fics...  
  
I'll get around to it! Jeez!  
  
I love you Mertie! Even though you don't exist, I still love you!  
  
Enjoy. My audience, I mean. Well, and Mertie too...if you exist, that is ! !  
{ }  
  
  
Yes! I, Birdie num num, have finally created the Anda smiley!  
  
Okay... so it needs a little perfecting, but...SEE THE STALK EYES?! AND THE LITTLE EARS?!  
  
Okay, okay! So they're big ears! So what?! You try!  
  
Actually, that's a great trivia idea! Whoever can create the perfect Anda smiley gets a whole chapter dedicated especially to them, in any one of my stories!  
  
**Gonrod **  
  
I slowly woke up, bewildered.  
  
I was still standing at the helm, my hands on the controls, where I had been, piloting the dome.  
  
I was in the main section of the dome; the bridge.  
  
When the ship had been hit, the bridge had been sealed, and had stayed intact. It had been pulled into Earth's gravitational field, and then, had hurtled down to Earth.  
  
I looked next to me. There, lay Captain Zalismaine.  
  
A thick metal beam from overhead had fallen and struck him on the head.  
  
He was dead, the poor old one.  
  
I felt pity for him.  
  
Though more pity for me, at the moment. I slowly wandered about the bridge, fearful.  
  
I found the drop shaft.  
  
I went down.  
  
And fell to the ground.  
  
Ow!  
  
I had landed...on grass and pine needles.  
  
Not too bad. But where was I? Surely the human country America, I hoped!  
  
Yes, it must be. The tall pines, and woodlands. They made sense. They were indigenous to this area.  
  
The Animorphs...surely they were around here somewhere...  
  
I tried to think of something I could remember. The humans...a barn...  
  
That was it! A barn! All I had to do was find the human Cassie's barn!  
  
Simple.  
  
But...I didn't want to go...alone... I decided to go back up and check on the others. Maybe someone...besides me had survived.  
  
I went directly under the dropshaft, and shuddered as I looked up into the eerie darkness of the ship. I jumped and thought 'Up', hoping the ship's energy would grab me.  
  
It did, and I flew up...  
  
and out, onto the top of the ship.  
  
I groaned as I stood on the roof. What a pain in the...  
  
Wait.  
  
I looked around.  
  
I could see around for miles up here!  
  
Excellent! I said, aloud.  
  
But I'd better get away from here, I thought. The Yeerks will be back soon, and very soon to destroy the rest of this...and look for any survivors.  
  
After several tries resulting in landing on the roof and landing on the ground, I managed to get back in.  
  
I looked over at Zalismaine. I ought to bury him, I thought.  
  
But...but I might get caught by the Yeerks if I stay here too long.  
  
W-well, I...I won't! I'll just stay here to bury him, and then I'll leave!  
  
Besides, I couldn't just leave someone who had treated me so kindly to be eaten by Taxxons...  
  
I checked around. There were five other warriors. I checked them over quickly, but accurately.  
  
All dead.  
  
I tried to fight down the panic. No...no...I was alone...absolutely alone...  
  
I tried to think...alright...if Aximili had survived in his dome, then...perhaps the arisths had survived!  
  
I remembered also that Prince Ylairn, and...and Warrioress Kaetila had still been mobile, when the domeship's main, fighting body had been fired upon. Perhaps they were alive and with our arisths!  
  
Excellent! Then I would find them!  
  
But first, the Animorphs, since I had a pretty good idea of where they'd be.  
  
I quickly lowered each body down the dropshaft, dug a hole for it, and buried them. I buried them a little ways away, in a meadow nearby.  
  
It took me all day, working feverishly, only taking stops to feed and drink, now and then.  
  
At late afternoon, I was finished. All six were buried in a row, in their own, neat, respective graves. I quickly performed the ritual of death.  
  
Time to get away. I was panicking inside. I had been all day. The slightest noise made me jump.  
  
There was no way to mark the graves, so when I got back in the ship, I logged the order they were in in the computer.  
  
It wasn't as if I would ever forget. Their names, ranks, and the order I buried them were forever etched onto my mind.  
  
Heart pounding, and nearly bursting, I ran.   
  
My hooves pounded the ground, and I had no idea where I was going...


	11. A Proposition

This chapter has been rewritten for editing purposes. (In other words it was a wall of text before I edited it xD )

**Kaetila**

I awoke in a Ramonite box. There was no light, so I could not see. But I could tell that my tail was clamped back and my arms were clamped forward, reaching straight in front of me. I had been waiting in here for hours.

I could tell they had fixed me; operated on my chest so I could breathe, and removed the glass bits from my fur. But I was still sore and very tired. I was also petrified. Now I would become a slave host for a filthy slug. I would be infested, all my secrets laid bare. I shuddered at that thought.

Not only that, but I would be another Andalite host slave. In fact, I would be the second only Andalite ever to be infested by a Yeerk. Shame overwhelmed me and I forced myself not to cry as I lay in the box. I was beginning to wish I'd just died in the fighter.

Ten minutes passed before the sound of hooves clopping on steel made me jump.  
(Good, very good.)

I groaned mentally. It was the Visser!

(Open the box.)  
The wall in front of me disintegrated. The Visser was standing a few feet back, Hork-Bajir controllers standing to the side of him and more behind him, all heavily armed. He stared at me for a second, then burst into laughter.

(Well, you don't look very comfortable.)

I said nothing in reply. He seemed thoughtful for a moment, then eye smiled.

(Take the restraints off of her arms and legs.) He ordered.  
The Hork-Bajir nearest to my box began to protest. (But she'll-)

FWAPP! The Visser struck at the Hork-Bajir, cutting off his hand!

"AAAAGH! GHAAA! UUUuuhh!"  
(Get out of my sight.) The Visser ordered calmly. (You.) He pointed to another one. (Take off her restraints.)

He did so, obeying his Visser quickly.

I slowly got up, and came out. As I straightened my torso, nearly a dozen dracon beams were leveled at me instantly. I looked around at the wary Hork-Bajir with my eyestalks and settled my main eyes on the Visser, keeping my tail low.

He looked at me, in my eyes. I stared him back, trying to be unafraid.

His tail whipped forward and I involuntarily cringed as it did.  
The collar around my neck remained on, but he snapped off the restraints on my tail.  
He whipped it again and off came my tail blade.  
I screamed at the sudden pain. My eyestalks flew back to stare at my blade.

(M-my tail!) I cried out in horror. Was I to be tortured and slowly cut apart rather than infested?  
He spoke to a human controller, but I was too much in pain to notice. The human came forward.  
He plunged a needle into my tail. I cried out again, a little frightened, but soon the pain went away, and I relaxed. A Hork Bajir cauterized the wound with a dracon beam a moment later.

I felt confused as the human controller hastily backed away, even though my blade was gone.  
Gone! I stared at the place where my blade had once been with my stalk eyes. I had been…made into a vecol? Why? I could morph and demorph, regenerate my blade of course, but the Visser would surely stop me.

I blinked rapidly, realizing everyone was staring at me. Even worse, they were all looking much more relaxed now, though they still had their hands on their weapons. Of course, why would they fear the _vecol_ prisoner? My main eyes stopped scanning and I looked down, at the floor. I felt so humiliated suddenly. I had gone from powerful Andalite enemy to helpless cripple. I kept my main eyes on the Visser but found I could not look him in the eyes.

The Visser was watching me and a look of satisfaction came on his face.

(Good. Now come with me, to my quarters.) The Visser said.

What?

"But Visser she could-" The human controller who had injected me with pain killer said.  
FWAPP  
This one was just knocked out for a while.

(Anyone else wish to question me?) the Visser eye smiled and looked around the room with his eyestalks.

No one did.

I followed the Visser out of that room, and down a series of hallways. No doubt about it. I was on the blade ship. His main eyes looked ahead, but his stalk eyes kept looking back at me, watching me. I felt suddenly even more frightened of him alone than with the Hork-Bajir guards holding me. They merely stood behind now. His stalk eyes never left me and I felt incredibly self-conscious.

Watching to see if I ran away? Where would I go? We were probably in space now, though that wouldn't prevent me from trying.

He stopped at a door, punched numbers into a keypad beside it and the door slid open.  
(Here we are.) He said with an odd smile in his eyes. His tone was strangely friendly. He motioned me forward with a hand. I slowly moved up beside him, feeling incredibly small next to him. He towered over me.

I looked inside with my main eyes, my stalk eyes on him. It was a small room, but definitely not too small. You could have seated about two dozen Andalites in there comfortably. Though they definitely wouldn't have been very comfortable being on a Visser's blade ship, which, at the moment, I certainly wasn't...  
(Go in.) He said, surprisingly gently.  
I did, slowly, wary. I found it incredibly hard to breathe with him watching me this way. I kept expecting him to suddenly strike out at me. It was cool, almost freezing in the room. I quivered.

What did he want?

(Lie down.) He ordered. I bristled.

I lied down on my stomach, slowly. Believe me, I really, really, really did not want to. But now with no tail blade and no method to defend myself, there was also no choice.

He came up beside me, a little behind me. He lifted a hand and stroked my spine once, going up, as he came towards my front and torso. It left no doubt in my mind to what he wanted and I breathed in sharply.

He lied down in front of my torso, one leg tucked under elegantly.  
(You know,) He began. (You are quite nice on the eyes) He began to stroke my arms and shoulders. At times touching my neck.

Nice? I said, without thinking.

He grinned at me. I felt like screaming and jumping out one of the small windows into cold, dark, starry space. That's how that grin made me feel.  
(Very, very pleasant,) The Visser raised the back of his hand to my cheek, drawing his knuckles in a feather light kiss across it. I merely stared back at him, barely breathing. Then he moved close to me. He wrapped his arms around my torso, pressing his chest to mine. He put his cheek to the top of my head. I resisted a strong, and I mean strong urge, to kick him.  
He brought one hand down and stroked between my front legs. I won't lie - it tickled and it made me shiver a little.  
(You are beautiful.) He said, quietly.

No. I thought. Not in a million years. Not for all the dome ships, looks, rank, and respect in all the galaxy would I ever, ever give you my body. Sure, I had done it before with Princes in the past but…but this was my enemy.

He continued stroking my lower torso. It felt good...and it scared the life out of me that it felt good...I sucked in a shaky breath finally and he reacted by smiling again.  
(How about we...make a deal?)

I pulled my head away from his and stared, terrified, into his eyes.  
He laughed a little.

(Nothing too unsavory. You would be mine…every night. And in exchange you would be free.)  
(Free.) I said, laughing inside at how insane his line of thinking was. Free!  
How ridiculous! He was offering me a whole different type of slavery in exchange for slavery!  
On the other hand...I wouldn't be infested...I wouldn't have to experience the horror of a Yeerk in my head, watching my shame, controlling my body, fighting and killing innocents with my blade. There'd be no danger of being made to fight in battle... What? Was I actually considering this? HAH! Maybe there'd be no danger of dying in battle, but did I really think that someone who could lop of hands easily would be gentle with me, just because I was his...well...

I didn't even want to think about just how bad it could turn out... What he might do...  
What about if the other Andalites found out? What if it got back to my people. They would not be so understanding...  
My reputation had been like swimming through mud to build. If I did this and it got back to my people, my reputation would be the least of my worries. What would they do to such a traitor? Prison? Removal of my tail blade? Execution?

What would life be like as his…mistress? Constantly looking over my shoulder and fearing not only his wrath and abuse but the day he might become bored of me and the wrath of my own people as well.

(No.) I said softly, barely audible.  
(What?) He said, moving his body even closer to mine. He hadn't heard me and his hand was lightly stroking my back now.

(N-no! NO!) I said, looking him in the eyes, my voice quavering.

He stared into my eyes. For a moment, it was a glare. Then it softened. Then it hardened into indifference.

(Very well.) He said, coldly.

He lightly shoved me away, not very roughly, but almost like he was annoyed and felt that he'd wasted time. Then he strode over to the door. It slid opened after he pushed some buttons on a keypad. He leaned his torso out the door, peering at someone there and saying something to them.  
A guard that he must have posted while he was talking to me, came in a second later.

(Take...Princess...) He said my title mockingly and waved a hand toward me. (...Kaetila to her new master.) He said, sounding very bored.

I was seized roughly by the Hork-Bajir and dragged down the hall. He stood out in the hall watching me as I was dragged away. I watched him with my stalk eyes as I was dragged along. He looked and seemed somewhat disappointed. Then as I watched, he sneered and turned away.

* * *

Okay, sorry if that was freaky nasty, but I was like, hmm...Andalite male host. Andalite female. ONLY Andalite female within a billion light years or so. Hmmm. Making a serious connection here... Oh come on, he's a GUY! What do you expect?! Honestly! Anyways. Hope you liked that...

Oh, and what's easier to read? Skip lined or one line after the other?! Tell me!!! Let me know please! And don't forget the Anda Smiley Contest!


	12. The Meeting

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Animorphs. I just love them.  
  
Wheee oooo hooooo!  
  
Sorry about the whole 'love slave thing' last chapter, but I felt it went well.  
  
I guess I should probably attribute that idea to Jekkal's pervy unfinished masterpiece- Tales from the Chambers. Even though I forgot about that. That was never finished.

So sad...all the fanfics that are never finished... It makes one ask, why?

Anyway.

I'll do it skip lines, since it just looks better anyway. Even though it makes it look like I'm just making more spaces than I am writing. Kinda weird like that. Moving on...

I had a feeling that idea had been used before...but I couldn't remember where. The Freckled One reminded me...  
  
Yes, that was so long ago. Back when I was just a little fanfic sprout. Before I'd actually written anything. Ah yes. The good old days. Back when I wasn't STRESSED TO FINISH FIVE STORIES AT ONE TIME!!!  
  
Yes...anyways...   
  
Well then. Enjoy.  
  
Oh, by the way, Anda Smiley Contest still isn't over! I've only had one 'entry'! So please, REVIEW and make an Anda Smiley and you get your request of which chapter from which of my stories you'd like to have dedicated to you!  
  
I'm just going to dedicate this one to anyone who likes this story so far...  
  
**Gafinalan**  
  
Well, I...I Gonrod blushed, as he explained, standing in our living room. I realized...after a while how stupid it was to go and try to find everyone just running nowhere fast.  
  
I looked over at Mertil and he smiled at me, amused.  
  
We were both thinking the same thing.  
  
After...a...while? I voiced what we were thinking.   
  
Marco, smacked his head with his hand. He shook his head too.  
  
Prince Jake tried not to smile and laugh.  
  
How long was 'a while'? I snapped.  
  
Uh...well. Ah...oh, maybe... He blushed. Then he sighed and hung his head. About an hour.  
  
I heard the human Rachel smirk. "Genius." She whispered.  
  
"Shh!" The human Cassie said. "Rachel!"  
  
And, well, then I thought about it and I morphed, and flew, and...as I flew, I tried to remember...and I managed to remember where the barn had been...and I just flew until I started to see familiar things, and, well, before long, I managed to...find the barn! He ended happily, and optimistically; almost sounding somewhat surprised and pleased at his ability to do so.  
  
"Wow, he figured it all out himself." Marco said whispered in fake awe, though loud enough for everyone to hear.  
  
"Well." Prince Jake said.  
  
I was still rather annoyed. The Yeerks could come in here and find them any minute!  
  
So, why, exactly, did you bring him in here?! I said, probably sounding as irritated as I really was.  
  
"Well." Jake the human said, sounding somewhat surprised. "I wanted to thank you and see what else you knew about the situation."  
  
I sighed.All I know, is what I saw last night. What Mertil and I both saw. He was the first to see it and come and tell me. He might have seen more. I looked to him, inquisitively.  
  
He shook his head. A gesture he'd picked up from me, that I'd picked up from my daily work at the university.  
  
I only watched it a few seconds longer than you did, really. I went to get you right away.  
  
"But could you see specific ships?" Rachel asked.  
  
No. Mertil replied softly, and somewhat shyly. I groaned inside. He was completely molding into the standard 'vecol-I'm-unworthy-niche' and it made me worry for him and for the day he would be alone...  
  
We could only see lights, dracon and shredder flares and the like.  
  
"Ah." Jake nodded. "I worried it would be that. I kind of hoped you guys had maybe seen more, but, oh well." He sighed. He turned to the rest of the Animorphs. "I guess we'll just have to listen out for any messages, wait for any dreams; like when we found Ax man."  
  
He turned to me again. "Sorry to bother you guys."  
  
It is alright. Mertil said before I could gripe again.  
  
Oh yes. I said sarcastically. Come by anytime!  
  
"Okay, sure!" Marco said. He grinned at Mertil.   
  
I hoped he was joking. Mertil smiled. Marco winked at him. Then he saw me looking and pretended to wipe something from his eye.  
  
What was going on around here?!  
  
Nyar hee nyar hee nyar hee! Another chapter, another day! Hope you guys are liking this! Sorry if it's slow! I'll try to pick her up more! Birdie num num falls down on knees. Looks up at the heavens and cries out from the very bottom of her soul.

WHY?! Why don't they review! I write them nice fanfic stories! And still, they don't review! I'm nice! I accept anonymous reviews so they can have the luxury of being lazy and not having to log in! And still! They just. Don't. REVIEW! Why?! Oh, why?! Shakes fist at the world.


	13. Snoopy Neighbor Makes A Decision

DISCLAIMER: Like, uh, like, I didn't like, write the original Animorphs and all, like...totally...

GUESS WHO HAS INTERNET AGAIN?

me!

MWAAHAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA! MOOOHOOOHOOHOOOhoohoo...ha...haa...ha ha...

ha.

Ahem. Sorry 'bout that. Anyways.

I have a theory.  
  
Gafinalan IS Martha Stewart!  
  
No...wait! Martha Stewart IS A YEERK! And she's in Gafinalan's HEAD!  
  
She controls him; making him clean ALL THE TIME! She's an obssessive compulsive cleaning YEERK!  
  
She's in him because she's trying to escape jail...and the whole jail thing is a cover because...VISSER THREE WANTS TO KILL HER! Because she's, like, a traitor...and all...  
  
Whoa...I'm a genius...  
  
Or...possibly insane...I don't know. Whatever.  
  
...

It's a conspiracy I tell you! A CONSPIRACY!

Ahem. Sorry. Anyways.

On with the epic. Smirk. Not really. More like a smut novel really...

**Daisy **  
  
Hmm...something was definitely going on...  
  
I was spying on my neighbor.  
  
Alright, I admit it. I had a teeny tiny bit of a crush on him.  
  
So what?  
  
He was a guy, I was a girl, he likes plants, I have cats.  
  
It was meant to be!  
  
Besides, I hadn't been on a decent date in a while. Too much while...  
  
But that whole troup of middle schoolers showing up at his door did weird me out a little.  
  
Two girls and five boys. And what a diverse group they were; black, white, hispanic!  
  
"Hmm, must be some kind of community effort he's doing. He doesn't really seem like a sociable guy though..." I pondered, peering out my kitchen window, sipping my coffee.  
  
I was back from a hectic day at work. The cats were in their usual places. Hush was outside, doing his "doggy business". I pushed my short blond hair back. It's not really blond. It's more light brown with blond highlights- a honey color I can't stand, but I dye it lighter blond alot.  
  
I looked around. The kitchen was a mess. I needed to clean up. But I was always so busy with work and all, and tired when I came home. That was one of the reasons the engagement hadn't...  
  
I sighed and I looked out the window again at the McClellan house. I wondered how clean his house must be. I mean, as an American bachelor, it couldn't be too clean...  
  
The kids were leaving. I smiled. They were all just herding down the steps and down the street. There was a black girl, a blond girl, a spanish looking boy, a brown haired boy, a boy with blond, scraggly hair, and a weird looking, but strangely pretty, boy, and another boy who looked spanish, but he was much taller than the other spanish boy.  
  
I was dying of curiousity. I just had to know!  
  
I decided to pay my neighbor a friendly, welcoming visit... 


	14. Infestation Did I make the right choice!

DISCLAIMER: Hmm forgetting to put these here...oh dear. I'll end up like Mersang...Uh, anyways, I didn't write Animorphs, this story is in no way written by K.A. Applegate. She wrote Mertie, Gafinalan, the Animorphs, and Gonrod the Cowardly Andalite. Kaetila is mine though...  
  
Okay, I am going to go ahead and just go 'local' and just do the 'Review corner' type thing.  
  
**Toby-** Hoo...sorry... seriously though. I understand what you're saying. I just used spanish, cuz, well, see, my dad is from south america (Uruguay, to be precise) and he's always all like ' Our ancestors are from Spain' so I just normally think 'spanish' and I guess that's not fair, considering Marco is after all like, something kinda different and it's not nice to group all, I guess the word would be, 'hispanic' peoples in the same group. But I don't usually like to use 'hispanic' 'cause it seems like kind of a nonword to me, or like something white people use because they can't tell the difference between Mexican and Brazilian, so they like to just throw it all in the same group.  
  
Breathes.  
  
Sorry. Got a little carried away. But ya, sorry. Just tell me what you'd like me to use, for future reference...  
  
**Mersang-** I'm sick?! Picture?! WHAT'S GOING ON?! I am so CONFUSED!!!  
  
Okay, relax, relax, breathe Birdie, breathe!  
  
**Tartan-** Thank you! You're so nice! Oh, and you're right about like, being hypocritical and all. I promise I will fulfill my evil fanfic mission! MWAHAHAHAHAAAA!  
  
**Korean Pearl-** PHEW! Babe, I don't know how you do this little 'review corner' thingy all the time! I mean, it's exhausting! How do you cope?! And don't worry about your little review obssession. We're all a little obssessed with something.  
  
(Looks over her shoulder at the cage full of male Andalites, including Mertil, Alloran, Ax, and even poor Gafinalan. Yells. "Feelin' comfy guys?" Birdie num num, please! Let me go home! Alloran says. "Yyyyyyyye- NO!" Birdie says and smiles. Well, can I have some Dr. Pepper? Elfangor, wearing a little halo and pair of wings calls from the back. "Okay baby! Just a minute!" I want my cinnamon bun! Ax. "Alright alright! Hold on!" Sigh!)  
  
Never collect male andalites, they are such a liability...  
  
Daisy will indeed take an interest in Henry, but you'll have to wait and see about his feelings! I forgot Gonrod's rank. Kaetila was promised promotion to Princess. (whoo! Too many p's in that sentence!) Sex drives are indeed very strong. You will indeed continue to do so when you are 80. (Not sex, I mean reviewing! Oh dear, that sounded so wrong!!! Sorry!!!) Gaffy doesn't want to be human because he is indeed proud, and possibly stupid. Visser Three is indeed a sadistic freak. And thank you for your compliment on Kaetila. I'm very proud of her. As a character-not a person- she has a lot of self-esteem issues, and she will indeed half to come to grips with those later IN THE STORY! (Runs out of breath.)  
  
Which we reeeeaaally have to get on with! So, sorry for making you guys wait! And here we go!

**Kaetila**  
  
I was standing, nervously, on the infestation pier.  
  
My mind whirled.  
  
Could this really be happening?! How did it end up like this?!  
  
Rewind. I thought. Oh please, rewind.  
  
I thought back, as the Hork-Bajir in front of me sorrowfully let out one last bellow before his head was pushed to the sludge.  
  
What was most terrifying was when his feet stopped kicking.  
  
I felt like vomiting up the grass I had miserably eaten that morning in my little Ramonite prison. No conceivable way was this happening!  
  
I thought back to only a few hours before.  
  
They had all been alive. I had been joking with Zalismaine, ignoring Gonrod, and flirting with Ylairn.  
  
And now...  
  
my hearts ached with uncontrollable grief suddenly.  
  
They were all dead...gone.  
  
My little arisths would never grow up and live their lives. Their mothers would find out from the military that the children they had tried to raise, the children they had loved and cared for, were dead. Murdered.  
  
I would never know what Ylairn and I could have been.  
  
I would never joke again with Zalismaine, my adopted father of sorts.  
  
I would never hear another stupid sexist comment from poor old Gonrod...  
  
They were all truly gone...  
  
Forever.  
  
And here I was, alone... so very, very alone...  
  
But I wouldn't be for much longer...  
  
Suddenly my mind slowed down. There was no reason to fight. Everyone dead. I was all that was left.  
  
It was truly over. This was really the end of my life as I had known it.  
  
I wanted to use my blade to end it. But it was still gone, thanks to the Visser, and I would surely be dead if I attempted any morphing...  
  
Realizing this, I looked up at my surroundings as though really seeing them for the first time. As though waking from a dream. Surfacing from a pool of murky water and wiping my eyes of slime.  
  
And I saw reality and I felt weak. Absolutely no point. No point at all in fighting.  
  
The Hork Bajir now stood. He turned and pushed me out of his way, walking back down the pier; probably off to his Yeerkly duties.  
  
The Hork Bajir holding my arms and tail shoved me forward.  
  
I wanted to scream in thoughtspeak, but I felt that since there was no point in fighting, there was just no point in even screaming anymore...  
  
What would that do? Nothing. I was going to be a slave in my own head whether I fought or not.  
  
They roughly pushed my head under.  
  
Please don't be cruel. I couldn't help thinking.  
  
I felt something slimy touch my ear.  
  
Ugh ugh ugh! I shuddered.  
  
It was cold! It pushed it's way into my ear.  
  
Ow! It felt like someone had pushed a high pressure drill into my ear! Soon the pain subsided though as the creature sent its natural pain deadening fluid in my ear.  
  
I felt myself slowly going numb. I couldn't feel my own body! I couldn't move an inch! Panic began to overwhelm me. I felt the urge to fight suddenly. To flee.  
  
But it was too late for that now...  
  
I felt like...  
  
SOMEONE WAS IN MY HEAD!  
  
AAAAAHHHH! I screamed involuntarily.AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH! I couldn't help it! Anyone would scream if they found somebody in their head!  
  
Shut UP! The Yeerk snapped. It took control of my thoughtspeak and made me stop; turning off my screaming. It began to access my memories!  
  
I felt embarrassment pour through me as it did. It was looking every most private thought I'd ever had.  
  
The Hork-Bajir slowly raised me to my hooves now.  
  
"Do you have control, Sub-Visser?" one to my left asked.  
  
Y-yes. The Sub-Visser said. It was giddy with joy. It was playing with my eyestalks; swiveling them about, flipping my tail around.  
  
Annoyed, the Hork Bajir holding my tail let go. The other controllers all backed away from me and the Yeerk. He began to move us back down the pier.  
  
Kaetila... It said, going through my memories again. I felt surprise from it suddenly. I couldn't normally feel it's emotions, though it could see all of mine, but this was strong, and jumping out of nowhere. A princess? I didn't know Andalites allowed their females in the military. It looked more, then snickered. Apparently they do...  
  
Oh no! Now it was going through all those horrible nights!  
  
Obviously for certain reasons, but they do... It laughed again.  
  
I felt hot rage fill me.  
  
Stop! I yelled in my own head.  
  
Stop? It said. I don't think so. You belong to me now. I'm the master here! I'm in charge! Hahahahaha! I'll do with your body as I please. It oozed.  
  
Then it focused all four of my eyes on my tail.  
  
Hey! Where'd your tail blade go? You're not a vecol are you? No... I see it here. You were born normal. You can morph... Well what in the galaxy happened?! Ah, yeeeees...I see it here...  
  
Oh no...now it was looking through my memories of the Visser's conversation. Uuugh!  
  
It laughed. EWW! I didn't know the Visser gave in to his host's feelings. How gross! You're not supposed to use your host for THAT! Eeeeeewww! It snickered immaturely. And you actually considered it?  
  
I blushed in my head, saying nothing. How humiliating!  
  
Maybe I should have given in to the Visser...and tried to kill him later.  
  
It laughed at my thoughts and lack of reply.  
  
By the standards of your people, you're a whore. It laughed again.  
  
I felt mad. Who was this piece of sludge to judge me anyway?!  
  
I'm not an 'it'. It said, reading my thoughts. I'm a 'he'. And I'm not a 'piece of sludge', you little Andalite TRAMP!  
  
I lay helpless, shocked, in my own head as he beat me with memories. Horrible, horrible memories of when I was an aristh.  
  
It wasn't just memories. I was feeling it. I was going through everything all over again. In superspeed at the Yeerk's whim, though.  
  
Stop it! I screamed. STOP IT! PLEASE! JUST STOP! I collapsed into a corner of my mind, sobbing.  
  
Good. He said now. We understand eachother. So shut up. He snapped cruelly. He morphed kafit bird, then demorphed; to regenerate my tail blade.  
  
He had been moving us along, and now we were- AAAAH!- in front of the Visser!  
  
Have you gone through the host's memories? He asked.  
  
Yes Visser.  
  
Anything about the Andalite bandits?  
  
Yes, one is Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill, brother to Elfangor-Sirinial- Shamtul.  
  
WHAT? He stared at me. Then he grinned. Elfangor's younger brother, eh? Well, we'll have to make him feel welcome, won't we?  
  
I shuddered at the smile on his face. The Yeerk in my head snickered again, probably remembering the Visser's "proposition". I said nothing, numb and still weak and in shock from the Yeerk's treatment.  
  
Visser! Apparently, he is the only Andalite on the planet!  
  
What? Don't be ridiculous! There are always several when they attack! How could there only be ONE?!  
  
Visser, I have found in her mind that these other 'Andalite bandits' are really humans with the morphing capability!  
  
He stared.But...HOW?  
  
Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul... I felt revulsion from the Yeerk. They had feared Elfangor. The Yeerk was shocked. He...broke the law of Seerow's Kindness and gave it to them!  
  
What? He laughed. Don't be ridiculous!  
  
Visser! It's true!  
  
The Visser laughed even harder.  
  
So Elfangor broke his own people's law? HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA! Well he was very 'honorable' wasn't he?!  
  
Then he instantly became serious.  
  
These humans! Where are they? He pressed, urgently.  
  
My...my host does not know, Visser... My Yeerk's enthusiasm slowed.  
  
WHAT? HOW CAN SHE NOT KNOW? SHE KNOWS! LOOK BETTER! SEARCH EVERY CREVICE OF HER BRAIN, DAMMIT!  
  
No...I...I-I-I...I'm loo-loo-loo-looking, Visser! But I don't see anything! My Yeerk said desperately.  
  
I sighed with relief. Thank the stars I didn't finish looking at those profiles of Earth! I had only looked at Aximili's!  
  
The Visser's tail whipped out angrily. It knocked me to the floor.  
  
Ah! I cried out in the anticipation of pain and also in terror. But with shock, I realized that the Yeerk had taken most of the pain, since he was in charge. My Yeerk cowered in the back of my head. He then searched my mind desperately again.  
  
B-b-b-b-b-b-but Visser! He said.  
  
WHAT, YOU FOOL?! WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY WANT?!  
  
I-I-I  
  
WHAAAAT?! He wrapped his tail around my neck and pulled me/the Sub-Visser up on my hooves and shook me.  
  
There...there are... My Yeerk gasped in terror.There are only five humans! He managed to squeak out in thoughtspeak.  
  
The Visser stared at me.  
  
A smile slowly grew on his face. Another, scary damn smile.  
  
What?  
  
There are only five humans.  
  
Besides Aximili?  
  
Yes.  
  
The Visser began to laugh madly. Strange, insane laughter.  
  
And they're only children! My Yeerk said happily - glad that he had apparently pleased his Visser.  
  
The Visser laughed even harder at that. And soon...his laughter...turned to...  
  
sobbing?  
  
CHILDREN! He screamed, enraged. CHILDREN! JUST. CHILDREN?!  
  
Y-yes... My Yeerk began to cower again. Apparently the Visser was not so pleased with his information...   
  
THOSE CHILDREN DESTROYED A KANDRONA! THOSE CHILDREN NEARLY COST ME MY LIFE!  
I would have smiled at that if I'd had control of my face.B-b-but Visser- My Yeerk began, puzzled.  
  
GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!  
  
The door was opened by a Hork Bajir with some message for the Visser and the Visser whipped his tail at me again, knocking me out of the room, through the door, and into the Hork Bajir.  
  
Briefly seizing control, I scrambled up off of the Hork Bajir, and down the hall; away from the mad Visser.  
  
I could hear the Visser smashing things around behind me in rage.  
  
I stood in the hallway, trying to catch my breath, my heart pounding in my chest, my whole right side bruised from his blow.  
  
And my possibility of surviving in this situation appeared about approximately zero at this point in time!  
  
The Hork-Bajir said something, urgently. I couldn't hear what he was saying. He was speaking too low, as he could see the Visser was in a very, very bad mood.  
  
WHAT?! The Visser screamed.  
  
The Hork-Bajir trembled and elaborated in a very low, very quiet, and very, very respectful voice.  
  
As I watched, the Visser pushed his way out of the room, knocking the Hork- Bajir out of his way. He stomped down the hall, towards me.  
  
Oh no... I groaned in my head.  
  
My Yeerk said nothing; he was too busy cowering and whimpering. He pressed us against one of the hallway's walls.  
  
The Visser stopped by me.You. He said, pointing a finger in my face. Suddenly he grinned cruelly.  
  
There's going to be a battle, and YOU are going to fight...Sub Visser. He added on, snickering and stomped down the hall.  
  
Even though I knew he really meant me.  
  
I scowled, momentary control of my face ( as the Yeerk was still cowering), then sagged.  
  
He was getting me back for earlier...  
  
Trying to prove I had no chance of surviving unless I gave in. Make me regret my choice.  
  
He was doing a damn good job of it too...I had to admit...  
  
My Yeerk, sensing my thoughts, hissed to me, Oh no, you're mine! My HOST! You're not going to get out of it! I'll make sure of that!  
  
I almost loved him right then. At least I had the assurance I wouldn't do anything stupid...  
  
Then he clamped iron control over me. Not a hair on my body would move without his wanting it to.  
  
I felt a little peeved at that, since he obviously thought I was a complete tramp, and I hadn't really helped his opinion, but the Visser gave us no time to argue.   
  
Follow me, SUB-VISSER! He screamed back in thoughtspeech, his stalk eyes watching me.  
  
Anticipating what would surely be my death, and no less fighting for the wrong side, I followed slowly; tail dragging and eyestalks drooping, for my Yeerk felt exactly the same way...

Yay! Am working on getting the other chaps in order. I apologize for any little thoughtspeak thingies and in the wrong place. This program is kind of a pain... Oh and,   
P.S. Anda-smiley results will be posted next chapter! All final entries must be turned in before then! Whoo whoo!


	15. Daisy Invasion!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Animorphs. Okay, serious, big no duh. Because if I was K.A. Applegate, I would probably be writing these ideas in books and not on a fanfic website. I don't even know why we have to put these. Do we have to do them every chapter or just at the beginning of the story? Somebody please tell me!...

Okay. Review Corner Time again!

**Mortathar**: Don't feel bad. We're all obsessed with something. And hey, Alloran is pretty sexy, I mean come on, he's muscular, nice responsible older guy, and all sad and you just want to bundle him up in your arms and...

Ahem. Anyways. Don't feel bad. We're all a little obsessive about something.

**Cartoonqueen: **Birdie looks stunned, and tears begin to moisten her eyes as she is handed Retina-Burningly-Cute Chibi Ax, and Talking Ax, (squeals EEEE!), begins to cry tears of acceptance and joy when she is handed Classic Mertie, and Chibi Mertie, and flat out sobs when she gets Drunk Vissy wissy, and Ballet Vissy wissy, and nearly has massive cardiac arrest when Carnie Anthropodmorphic Animal Suit Vissy wissy is plopped lovingly into her already full of Andalite plushies, arms!

Sobs.

And then she belts out the most totally cliche line in all of history.

"YOU LOVE ME! YOU REALLY, REALLY LOVE ME!"

Hugs Cartoonqueen and kisses her on both cheeks mwa! mwa! and sits back down, carrying her fanfic plushie awards with her.

SPEAKING OF AWARDS...

It's now time to tell the winner of the Anda-smiley contest!

Drum roll please!

Prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

And the winner who will have any chapter from any of my stories dedicated to them is...

TOBY HAMEE!

Cymbal is hit. Psh!

Cheesy music plays. Toby Hamee comes up and accepts golden award in the shape of an Andalite body with a huge smiley face head.

I'm sorry, but hers really, really looked like an actual Andalite!

MERSANG gets second place, 'cause she did a whole entire Andalite, so even if she broke like, one rule of the contest, it's an awesome little Andalite, I mean, COME ON! LOOK AT THE LITTLE GUY (OR GAL)! IT'S ADORABLE!

Special credit to WRAITHLORD42 for trying several times. Also special credit to Tartan, and Anonymous-cat.

Oh crap! You guys just all tell me which chappies in which stories are your faves and I'll dedicate 'em to you!

Congrats to the winners and those who tried. I start giggling whenever I look at _any _of them so...   
**Mertil   
**  
When they left, taking Gonrod in his morph with them, I was glad.  
  
I did not say anything to Gonrod about his stupidity for a specific reason.  
  
It was the way he kept looking at me. In disgust. He was, of course, briefed on me, and what had happened to Gafinalan and I, but I could tell he had no respect for me, right from the start. He kept looking at my tail stump in disgust.  
  
Right now it was bandaged because of the wheel. It still ached, but the Illsipar root was working excellently.  
  
Marco, who had taken it upon himself to be my friend, had asked me about it. I had merely said that it had itched, and I had scratched the wound, and it had begun to bleed.  
  
I noticed a particular nose-wrinkling of disgust from Aximili, while the humans looked concerned, and Cassie gasped and began to look it over. I smiled and told her it was alright and that Gafinalan had taken care of it, and I hope I did not hurt her feelings by the way I moved away afterwards.   
  
Aximili's disgust was bad enough, but Gonrod- as an adult- really should have known better than to show his feelings about me with his face the way he did, especially in front of Gafinalan!  
  
I felt like asking him what he thought he was staring at, but I did not feel like getting any smart comments today.  
  
I couldn't help thinking about the battle last night; how many had died.  
  
He had discussed the possibility of two being alive; Prince Ylairn and Princess Kaetila.  
  
He had said the bridge had been attacked first.  
  
Princess? Had been my initial thought.  
  
I hadn't heard of a Princess before. She must have done something great to be in the military...  
  
Or unspeakable...  
  
I hoped for both of them that they were alive.  
  
He had also mentioned the three arisths at the dome. I wondered if the dome was still intact, and where it had landed. If it landed, it must have landed in the ocean. Something that big landing on land would have been noticed by the human populace. I could only hope they hadn't drowned...  
  
Aximili had survived, surely they could.  
  
I felt kind of envious of Gonrod. I would have liked to have gone with the Animorphs to find the survivors. In a way, I missed the fight.  
  
But I was glad to be there for Gafinalan.  
  
Besides, they were going on a mission this afternoon; to attack a Yeerk base somewhere in the mountains. It didn't seem like it was going to be very well either, especially considering Prince Jake's weary, worried look.  
  
**Gafinalan**  
  
I was just enjoying myself in the greenhouse, after they left, when the doorbell rang.  
  
Muttering, I stomped through the passageway to the back door, into the kitchen, past Mertil enjoying some Dr. Pepper in a bowl on the floor, by putting his hoof into it and drinking from it, and into the living room.  
  
What on Earth does he want now? Gonrod will NOT stay in this house! It certainly better not be that! I will not have some moron (and Mertil began to chuckle here) staying in this house; some inconceivably idiotic fool, who runs in no particular direction for an hour before actually stopping and planning and... I kept muttering as I morphed to human.  
  
Ding dong! The door bell rang again. Mertil peeked with an eyestalk through the peep hole I had installed.  
  
"Mertil!" I whispered fiercely. "Get away from there! Go into the private quarters!"  
  
He jumped back instantly. Sorry, Gafinalan. He said, his head lowered. Then he said. It's that female human from next door!  
  
I turned. "WHAT?! What on Earth does SHE want?! Oh! Hurry up and go to the concealed room!"  
  
He hurried to our private, concealed room- recently rebuilt after the Animorphs had demolished it.  
  
I hurried to the bedroom. I quickly went through the drawers, and pulled out a shirt and a pair of jeans. I got into them, and ran to the front door. I didn't have on any shoes, and my human hair was a mess, but oh well. I'd get rid of her quickly enough.  
  
I opened the door.  
  
"HI!" She squealed.  
  
I stared. She stared at me, my hair, my clothes. Then she smiled again. This time it looked a bit forced.  
  
"I ah, hope I didn't disturb you?"  
  
I stared. "Oh! Ah, no...no...you..." I sighed. "Didn't. Just...working on my greenhouse..."  
  
"So." She said. "I ah, was just coming to visit you, and I...got you...this..." She held forward something.  
  
A plate of cookies.  
  
They smelled very, very good.  
  
She's baiting me, Mertil. I said privately, in thoughtspeak. She obviously wants to come inside...  
  
What is she baiting you with?! He sounded worried.  
  
Cookies.  
  
Oh. He seemed nervous, but rather relieved. I had explained about different human foods to him, and what they tasted like since I had taken the liberty of using my human morph for experimentation on certain times. (For science, Mertil and I often joked.) He must have thought she was holding a Dracon beam to my head. Well...take them!  
  
"Don't you...don't you like them?" She asked, cautiously.  
  
I had been staring at the plate of cookies while I was talking to Mertil.  
  
"They're uh...very nice..." I took them, rather jerkily.  
  
Should I invite her inside?! I said, panicking.  
  
Why not? Mertil replied. I'm hidden. She won't see me. And she obviously just wants to talk about something. He chuckled. Maybe she's attracted to your human morph!  
  
Oh shut up! I said.  
  
She was looking worriedly at me now.  
  
"Uh...would you uh...AHEM." She jumped a little as I tried to clear the gooey human throat. "Would you like to, you inside?"  
  
Her face lit up like a Shredder on high power.  
  
"SURE!" She said, and giggled a little, as if embarrassed at her own enthusiasm. "I would...LOVE, to come in."  
  
I stepped to the side, allowing her to squeeze by. She giggled happily as she stepped.  
  
"Oh! Oh my...this is..." She laughed a little, nervously. "This is very, very nice." She turned to me.  
  
"Do you clean this all by yourself?" She said, looking at me with wide, surprised, curious eyes.  
  
Dark eyes that sparkled rather attractively...  
  
Yes. Mertil teased in my head. He certainly does...


	16. Fighting for the Wrong Side

DISCLAIMER: Same as usual. I don't own Animorphs, Mertil, Gafinalan, or Gonrod in any way, shape, or form. But Kaetila and Daisy are mine. So HA!  
  
**Review Corner**  
  
**Mortathar:** Well, I'm already working on all my fanfics now, at the same time, and a self-insertion, and I'd have to say it's been insane, but if you think you can do it, do it. If you think you can handle it without screaming and snatching yourself bald in the end, go ahead!  
  
**Tartan:** Hmm...good idea with the poison cookie thing. Really, I must think and explore all humor possibilities in all humor situations before I post!  
  
**Wraithlord42:** Okay, you know way better than to ask me that! I'll get to it right after I find time to breathe! Oh and thanks for beta-ing this chappie!  
  
**Korean Pearl:** Thank you!  
  
**Toby Hamee:** Congratulations on winning! Umm...I don't know...Just tell me what your favorite story of mine is! That applies to the rest of you contestants too!   
  
I hope you guys are enjoying this story. I realize it's a bit of an El Bizarre-o idea. But here, at the Birdie num num Corporation, we believe in El Bizarre-o ideas.  
  
So sit back and enjoy another chapter in...  
  
THE BIRDIE ZONE  
  
doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo!  
  
No, don't worry, Kaetila's not going to be a slave forever. I haven't forgotten about her!  
  
**Kaetila  
**  
I stood nervously on the smaller transport ship.  
  
This was it.  
  
We were hovering over the mountainside, the ramp open, ready for battle. I was so tired. I had fought last night, and now, I would fight again.  
  
For the other side. Against my own will.  
  
A tool used by the very monsters who had mercilessly slaughtered three arisths.  
  
Who had mercilessly slaughtered my friends and companions and fellow shipmates, and who had mercilessly slaughtered hundreds of Andalites before them, and were perfectly willing to slaughter more, in the future...  
  
I was standing next to the Visser, holding on to a vertical bar, trying desperately not to vomit my grass.  
  
I thought for a moment of vomiting on him, and then claiming it was an accident...  
  
But the ship was about three hundred feet up now, and it would have been quite a long, painful fall...  
  
Besides, my new Yeerk "master" - so he called himself! - would not let me, anyway.  
  
A chance! My Yeerk hissed happily. A chance to use this beautiful tail in battle! He allowed me control of my hands to hold on to the bar as the ship swerved about in the sky, but he was preoccupied with flipping my tail about, and looking through my memory for tail fighting.  
  
Which brought back all kinds of painful memories of earlier tail fighting lessons.  
  
_You can't move that tail worth anything, female! Concentrate! My first instructor jeered in my memory as his tail whipped towards my legs and knocked me over. I saw a young me, an aristh, struggle to get up. But he just laughed and knocked me over again._  
  
I stared at the tops of the tall, green, pines below, deep in troubling memories.  
  
It was hot outside. The heat filled air blasted up and blew into my face. It felt good to feel warm air on my fur again. I had been inside cold ships for weeks. But the brightness of the day made me squint, emphasizing how long I had been in those cold, artificially lit ships.  
  
The Visser kept standing beside me, no matter how many times I scooched away. My Yeerk was too busy to notice. He didn't seem to know how to have very good control of me.  
  
Suddenly, the Visser turned and grabbed my shoulder. He used his other hand to turn my face to his. Stunned, I came out of my reverie.  
  
I will give you one more chance. He said. I know you refused my offer last night, but I will ask you once again. Be mine, and I can save you from this.  
  
His hand moved and stroked my belly.  
  
I felt my grass moving down my legs again...  
  
My Yeerk was nervous. He said nothing. He gave me control to speak.  
  
I stared back at the Visser. I looked him in the eyes.  
  
We've had this conversation before. I said. You know how it ends.   
  
I turned away and looked back at the treetops.  
  
Now I was even more nervous. I felt like my stomach was full of worms.  
  
Fine then. He spat. Die. Be a slave. And die a slave.  
  
I'd rather die a slave than live one. I said softly. I hadn't even meant to say it. What had gotten into me lately? I was more gutsy.   
  
It was almost, well, fun!  
  
The ship began to lower in a field. It landed roughly.  
  
The Visser leaped out of the ship, not even using the ramp, without saying another word to me. He landed hard and then just galloped furiously off into the woods, disappearing out of my sight.  
  
He wanted to find someone to vent his rage on. The rage I had stirred up in him.  
  
Breathing a shudder, I slowly walked off the ship, down the ramp. Hork- Bajir jumped down and out around me and behind me. Some spread out. Many ran after the Visser.  
  
I stood, nervously looking around with all four eyes.  
  
Then the Yeerk took control.  
  
What do you think you're doing? He snapped. You can't just walk off!  
  
All right! I snapped. What do you suggest we do then? Just stand here?!  
  
W-well... He sighed. What do you mean 'we'? I don't suggest 'we' do anything! There is no 'we'! There's just 'me' and 'my slave'! He spat.   
  
I ignored him. I decided to just watch the idiot get us killed...  
  
He moved my eyes all around, nervously. We slowly advanced.  
  
The Visser will be angry if you don't hurry up and catch up to him. I said, purposely to irritate him.  
  
Shut up! He hissed. He was on to my game.   
  
I would have smiled if I'd had control of my face. He was terrified. He expected an Andalite bandit to just leap on him out of nowhere.  
  
The ship slowly took off behind us.  
  
He turned around nervously.  
  
Well, well. I said, lazily, relaxing in the back of my head. What are we going to do now?  
  
Shut UP!  
  
I mean, there goes the ship. You can't stand here forever, you know. I smirked.  
  
Quieeet! He commanded. It was more of a whine, now, really.  
  
I just laughed at him as he crept through the bushes.  
  
You're going to get us lost. I said.  
  
No I'm not!  
  
Oh, yes. I said. Ah, which way exactly did the Visser go anyway? I said, snickering.  
  
He looked around.  
  
He...he went...  
  
Somewhere you don't know. I finished for him. Heh heh heh heh...   
  
That's it! You better shut up or I'll-  
  
ROOOOAARRRR!  
  
He jumped as we heard the far off roar of an Earth tiger.  
  
He began to whimper nervously. I snickered.  
  
They're coming to get you. I whispered psychotically, teasingly.  
  
SHUT UP! He exploded. I had pushed him way, way too far. Maybe we don't have to go anywhere... He began to laugh sickly. Maybe...maybe you'd like to talk about the time with Captain Netek...  
  
N-no... I said, trying to block the memories he was bringing up.  
  
He laughed cruelly. Or maybe how you just let him have what he wanted...just so you could stay on the ship, WHORE!  
  
I began to sob. SHUT UP!  
  
Not so funny anymore, is it, Kaetila? You going to be quiet now?  
  
I lay curled up in a cowering little ball in the back of my head, crying. Y-yes...  
  
That's good...very good... He began to look around nervously now. Oh how I hated him. How I hated him and loathed him with every fiber of my being for what he was doing to me. For all the filthy guilt he made me feel. He would pay...oh he would pay!  
  
We moved slowly through the thorny bushes and thick forest. He was causing my body to breathe heavily, terrified now. The heat of Earth's midsummer was intense, and the sounds of battle were now far off. It was dead quiet all around us.  
  
We heard something snap behind us.  
  
He began to run in a wild panic. He ran and ran and ran wildly through the woods, his eyestalks looking every which way. We ran through bushes and long grass. Leaves and thorns caught in my fur. We ran...  
  
right. Into. The. BATTLE.  
  
We both screamed as we ran out of a large bush-like tree, straight into a Taxxon and flopped right over him. He stared around, puzzled. He saw us, panicked, and ran away.  
  
SUB-VISSER! A voice I immediately recognized boomed at us. It was the Visser, of course, coated in cuts and wounds, and bleeding. SO GLAD YOU COULD MAKE IT! His tail whipped at me and wrapped around my neck, pulling us close.  
  
WHERE IN THE UNIVERSE HAVE YOU BEEN?! He screamed in thought-speak in my face.  
  
I-I-I- The Sub-Visser began to protest feebly.  
  
Air! I needed air! His thick, muscled tail was choking me!  
  
The Visser let go of my neck and at the same time, flung me towards a group of Hork-Bajir fighting a wolf and a gorilla.  
  
FIGHT! He screamed at me. My eyestalks looked back to see a young Andalite leap out at the Visser, tail whipping. My heart leaped joyfully as I recognized him.  
  
AXIMILI! I called.  
  
One of his eyestalks turned and looked quickly. He seemed puzzled, but as he was fighting a Visser who was about two hundred pounds more than he and much taller, he was too preoccupied to fully ask me who I was.  
  
Shut up little Andalite whore. The Sub-Visser hissed and then snickered again.  
  
I said nothing, I was weary. But I knew the Yeerk could feel my rage.  
  
He snickered at it. Don't you see? He's too busy fighting to help you! They're all too busy fighting to help you. No one can help you. And why would an Andalite waste his time on you anyway? Remember? You're just a female! He laughed again. And a filthy little trollope at that!   
  
I tried to ignore him again. To fight back my feelings of helpless rage and grief.  
  
He got bored, and as the action was heating up, he charged forward, excited with my tail, whipping it about wildly.  
  
We were high at the top of a mountainous area now.  
  
With shock, I saw the Andalite bandits. They were in morph; in their usual style of fighting.  
  
AAAAAAAAHHHHHH! I heard the Visser yell in agonized thought-speak. The Sub-Visser turned my eyestalks to look behind me. An Earth creature called a tiger had leaped onto Visser Three's back and was digging its claws in deep.  
  
That did it.  
  
The Sub-Visser fully panicked. He ran. We ran, back through a bush.  
  
And we flew...  
  
into...  
  
air?

AAAAAAH!

We fell.

And hit a rock. Hard.  
  
My leg broke; the bone going right through the skin.  
  
I screamed in pain. The Sub-Visser let go of all control; shocked, and frightened.  
  
We rolled down a dangerously slanted, almost vertical, rocky hill. My body was beaten severely as we rolled along.  
  
Suddenly we had hit another edge, and we were off of it; flying a few feet down again.  
  
My stalk eyes flashed open as I fell, my back toward the ground, and I saw a huge boulder lying there, right in my path.   
  
I didn't even have a chance to scream, before I hit it with a sickening SLAM.  
  
I lay in pain, confused... and everything... the whole blindingly bright summer's day... went... dark...  
  
Okay, okay, I know it's another cliffhanger and it's another chapter with her getting knocked out, but what can I do? I just write the story the way I feel it should go! You'll just have to review and tell me and uh, oh yeah, wait and see...

And if you competed in the Anda-smiley contest, don't forget to tell me which chappie of which story you want!


	17. Would you like a cuppa?

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Animorphs.  
  
**Review Corner:** Thanks guys! It's great to know people appreciate my stuff!  
  
Enjoy!

**Daisy**  
  
I sat on Henry's couch nervously.  
  
He just stood there in the middle of the living room with the cookies, after having closed the door.  
  
He looked liked he didn't much know what to say.  
  
Man, I thought. He is so cute. Even with his hair messy and his clothes looking like they hadn't ever been ironed, he was still very, very cute.  
  
I wondered what he thought about me.  
  
He didn't seem to be thinking very much about how I looked right then...  
  
**Gafinalan  
**  
I stood there like an idiot with the plate of cookies. What should I do with them?  
  
What's going on? I heard Mertil call urgently from the room.  
  
Nothing, so far. I don't know what to do with these cookies!  
  
Take them!  
  
I did!  
  
Well, put them down somewhere. On the table!  
  
I did as he said, rather roughly, just dropping the plate on the dining room table. The clatter of it made Daisy jump a let out a little "Oh!"   
  
Now what, since you're the human social genius?!  
  
You're the one who keeps the house so spotless and morphs human! What are your instincts telling you?  
  
I tried to allow the human instincts to come up.  
  
Hunger was the strongest. The cookies were tormenting and tantalizing. I walked back over to the table, ripped off the plastic wrap from the cookies, and began to eat. 

Well? What are you doing?

Eating them!

Daisy watched, looking quite surprised from the couch.  
  
She's staring at me funny. I told Mertil.  
  
Tell her you like them.  
  
"MMMM!" I said out loud, making her jump again. "These are really good!"  
  
She stared, smiled nervously. "Oh, well, thank you!"  
  
She just sat with her hands in her lap looking around nervously.  
  
I stopped suddenly. My eyes widened.  
  
Mertil!  
  
What now?  
  
I think these might be POISONOUS! (That's for you TARTAN! ;P! )   
  
WHAT?! Why?!  
  
They taste very, very sweet. Almost too sweet!   
  
No, I mean, why would they be poisonous?  
  
Oh. Well...I don't know...She could be a Yeerk!  
  
Do you have any idea how paranoid you sound?  
  
I scowled. Well...well...  
  
Why would the Yeerks go to the trouble of poisoning us, when they could just kill us right away?!  
  
Well...they wouldn't want to come in here and deal with me, would they?! I replied lamely. He was right. There was no reason the Yeerks would want to kill us. We certainly weren't harming their invasion efforts directly!  
  
"This place is very, very nice." She said, crossing her legs. I looked, puzzled at this gesture.  
  
What did it mean?  
  
What if Mertil was right about her attraction to my host?!  
  
Oh no. If she tried to mate with me...!  
  
Hmm...maybe Mertil was right; perhaps I was just being very paranoid.  
  
I decided that it was probably something human females just did, since I had seen it done before by them, many times.  
  
"Thank you." I said, slowly.  
  
"Oh, well, you're welcome."  
  
An awkward silence followed, while I snacked on the cookies.  
  
She turned to me. "So...ah...how...how is it you came to live here?"  
  
I swallowed. Stared. "Uh...I...uh..."  
  
"Not to pry." She assured me. "Just curious. See, I've been here a while and I've seen you here and there and I've been so curious." She laughed.  
  
I blinked.  
  
Well how's it going? Have you found out what she wants yet?! Mertil asked desperately.  
  
No! She won't leave!  
  
Do you think maybe she wants some of the cookies?   
  
Why would she want them if she gave them to me?!  
  
I don't know! You might offend her though! Just offer her some!  
  
"Uh...would you...like one?" I asked, feeling like a glutton now. Why hadn't I realized it and asked before?!  
  
"Oh...um, sure! Some tea would be nice."   
  
I stared. "Tea?"  
  
**Mertil**  
  
I heard Gafinalan in the kitchen, pots and pans banging around, cabinets opening and closing, and I wondered what in the world was going on. Was he going to feed her?  
  
Gafinalan! I called. I said offer her cookies! Not feed her!  
  
You can shut up! He screamed hysterically in thought-speak. Do you know what she wants?!  
  
What?  
  
Tea!  
  
What's that?!  
  
It...it's like some type of fluid...like Dr. Pepper.  
  
I gasped. My Dr. Pepper!  
  
What? What about your Dr. Pe-  
  
I heard a SPLOSH and the clattering of a cereal bowl.  
  
-pper.   
  
**Gafinalan **  
  
I had stepped right in Mertil's bowl of Dr. Pepper on the floor!  
  
I held back a human scream of rage. My pant leg was wet now!  
  
"Uh...Mr. McClellan?" Daisy had heard it! Oh no!  
  
She walked over to the kitchen. She stared at me. At my pant leg. At the bowl. At the puddle of Dr. Pepper on the floor.  
  
I had been trying to find a cook book that might tell of how to make tea. I knew what it was. I just had no conceivable idea of how to make it. I certainly never drank the stuff!  
  
"Uh...is everything okay?" She asked softly, politely. She had a nice, soothing voice.  
  
"Uhh...uh...y-yes! Everything is fine!" I briskly picked up the bowl. Stared at the Dr. Pepper puddle. I was not going to clean that up! Mertil was going to clean that up! It wasn't my fault! He should know not to just leave that lying around! It was dangerous to our cover!  
  
"What's that for?" She walked closer. Oh no! My heart pounded away; loud and warning in my head. She stared at the puddle. She then looked up and saw the bottle of Dr. Pepper on the counter. "Is that Coke?"  
  
"No it's Dr. Pepper." I replied stupidly, not thinking. Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!  
  
"Oh." She said, and nodded a little. "Um. Really?"  
  
"Y-yes." I said putting my hands on my hips and pretending like I was just looking out the kitchen window to the greenhouse. Maybe I could play this off innocently...  
  
"What's it doing on the floor?" She said softly, curiously. Slowly.  
  
Or not.  
  
"Uh...that uh...that's for um... my...dog! It's for my dog. He loves Dr. Pepper..."  
  
My dog?! Did dogs even drink anything?!  
  
Oh no... I groaned in thought-speak to Mertil.  
  
What?! Mertil said, worriedly. What what what?!  
  
Oh, nothing. I snapped. You've just killed us both! Blown our cover! With your stupid Dr. Pepper!   
  
WHAT?!   
  
Nothing! I snapped.   
  
"Your dog? You have a dog?" She looked questioningly at me. "I've never seen a dog here before..."  
  
"No! I mean...yes! Well, it's uh...it's uh...it's more of a cat, really."  
  
I could have beat myself upside the head with the bowl just then. More of a cat?!  
  
More of a cat?! Mertil exclaimed. He had heard.  
  
"More...of a...cat?" Daisy said, looking puzzled. A smile slowly spread out on her face. She began to shake. I wondered at first what was wrong with her.  
  
Then I realized she was laughing! At me!   
  
I sighed, and looked down at the floor in resignation.  
  
"I'm sorry!" She said, still laughing. "It's just...ahahaha! You...oh! Heeheehee! You look so funny with that bowl, and your pants and shoe all wet!" She kept laughing. And then she pointed at my head. "And you're hair!" She waved her hands about. "Oh, I'm so sorry! Hahaha! I'm so rude!" She tried desperately to apologize further, but she was helpless with laughter. Then she cried out. "More of a cat! Hee hee hee!"   
  
I started laughing a little too. I couldn't help it! She had such a funny laugh! Mertil chuckled in thought-speak in my head.  
  
She's nice. He observed.  
  
Yes, yes. She is. I acknowledged. She's very nice. But after she leaves, you're getting your rear in here and cleaning this up! And don't ever leave any more bowl mines for me to step on! Got it?!   
  
Yes, sir! Mertil said merrily.

Hope you guys and gals enjoyed that! Now peez, pleeeeaaase, PLEASE review!


	18. Gonrod speaks again

**Gonrod **

We ran from the battle. We had to retreat, as more and more Yeerk forces poured in.

I was troubled. She was alive, but one of them. There was nothing we could do for her.

I wondered if she was a Controller voluntarily or involuntarily. She could be a traitor.

I would never put it past a female!

Aximili ran up beside me as we ran.

(Was that her?) He asked.

(Of course it was her!) I snapped. (She was the only female on board!)

(Sorry.) He said, sheepishly. (She...she is a Controller now, then?)

(Yes.) I said, feeling a bit of genuine regret, remembering the way Zalismaine had fretted over that female like she was his own daughter. He had treated me with respect, poor old Zalismaine.

Despite...what I was. A...coward.

I had reluctantly taken Jake as my Prince. He was still far too young, in my opinion. But he had been through many battles...

(Sir?) Aximili asked me tentatively, pulling me from my thoughts.

(Yes, Aristh?)

(About...about Estrid, sir-)

(She's fine. She's alive. We made it back to the home world. She's on trial.)

(On TRIAL?!) He looked worriedly at me and actually stopped running for a while.

(Yes.) I said softly.

We stood silently in the forest for a while.

(She's young.) I said softly. (They...they can't possibly do anything severe to her. Uh...it...it's not like she actually did let the virus out anyway...I honestly don't think she wouldn't have. I told them-)

(It's alright, sir.) Aximili said. He looked depressed. I watched him gallop off, towards his scoop. I stood for a few seconds, thinking.

Then, not wanting to get left out in the middle of nowhere again, I followed hurriedly.

I hadn't wanted to stay with some...some...VECOL, even if he had been an honorable warrior! And it was definitely embarrassing to stay in the scoop of an Aristh, so I had begun construction of my own scoop in my spare time.

I would rather sleep in the woods for now, with no roof, than sleep by an Aristh...

Even if there were strange and disturbing noises at night...

**Aximili **

I could not stop thinking of the young female who had called out so desperately for my help during the battle.

A Princess? One had to wonder. How did she get that position?

I had certainly not heard of females in the military before. I hadn't even known that they were allowed to join. She must have impressive tailfighting abilities if she had been allowed...

Or she had done the unthinkable to get in the military academy...

I certainly hoped not. I liked to believe that all of my people had moral sense. Though the Ascalin Incident on Leera had shaken that faith.

I walked to my scoop and thought of Estrid. Poor Estrid.

On trial? But how had Gonrod gotten out of it?

_Because he is a good pilot,_ I reasoned bitterly. _And the War Council had needed someone to pilot the one dome they were sending to Earth. _

Why send one domeship? Simple. They had nothing else, and they wanted it to seem as if they were putting in some effort. They must still have the rest of the fleet at the Rakkam Garoo conflict.

But I knew the truth. We were alone in our fight.

Alone...

I sighed.

The thought of Princess Kaetila being another Andalite-Controller only depressed me further.

She was beautiful...

I forced my mind off of that. She was much too old for me.

Besides, I could not stop thinking of Estrid...


	19. Kaetila trapped

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Animorphs.

Sigh. I just can't help myself! I am NOT an orderly writer!

I guess it's just back to my old, regular, do my fanfics all out of order and hop around to each of them when it pleases me.

**Kaetila**

I woke later.

My internal clock told me that it was the next day.

I lay for a while, looking up at the sky, trying to remember where I was...who I was...

Kaetila-Aerrin-Nalmun...

I was a...slave...

A Yeerk slave...

There had been a battle...I had fallen...

Where was I, though?

I lay silently. My Yeerk had not woken up yet.

I slowly tried to get up.

(AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!) I screamed in agony.

My leg! It burned like it was on fire! I looked down at it.

A boulder was on it, pinning it. Some rocks had fallen with me, and held me down.

One rock landed on belly, pinning me. I tried to use my hands to push it off, feebly. But to no avail.

I was pinned. Stuck good and fast and going nowhere. Trapped!

I lay desparately trying to look around. My nose hurt from where I'd hit the rock. I touched my hand to my face, and felt a deep cut between my eyes. Dried blood was caked all around my eyes, and above my nose, and on my nose, and my nose was bleeding a little too.

I had rolled on to my side afterward, and the rock must have pinned me on my back.

My back ached from lying in this position for so long.

I had to get up...had to...

I was so weak!

I tried to move my tail.

(Ah! Aaaaaah!) I groaned in pain. It was stuck too. And it also felt broken.

I lay back, helpless.

(S-S-Sub-Visser!) I called in my head.

Nothing.

(Sub-Visser! Wake up!)

Silence.

I sighed. Then I did something that worsened my already considerably bad headache.

I banged my head several times on the rock under me.

(What?) The Yeerk woke.

(Got some bad news.) I said.

(What?!) He snapped.

(We're trapped.)

(WHAT?!) He said, already panicking. Then, suspiciously. (Let _me _see!)

He took control of my eyes and head. He moved my head to look down at my body. Sure enough, he saw the big boulders.

(No.) He said, not believing it at first. (No. No no no!)

(What?) I said, not understanding. So it was bad. But it wasn't like we didn't have time to move the boulders and everything...

and then it hit me.

(NOOOOOO!) He wailed. (NOOOO!)

He needed Kandrona! Or he _would_ need Kandrona. Very badly so. In about two more days...

I smiled happily.

Freedom!

I would be _free!_ Finally _free_ of him!

(No.) He said, refusing to believe it. (It can't be so.)

(It is.) I said, happily.

(No!) He yelled at me, making my head hurt more. (It won't be! They'll find us! They'll find us and you'll be taken back!) He laughed in my head, madly.

I began to feel panicky myself. I looked down at the boulders. Up at the hill. And I almost expected any minute for a Hork-Bajir, or even the Visser himself, or worse yet, a Taxxon to come down that hill towards me. It could eat me. It could tear me apart, and I would be helpless! Helpless!

I began to feel terror.

Wait.

I listened. Silence. There was nothing. Nothing. Not a damn thing.

They were gone.

I began to laugh. The Yeerk realized it too.

(No...) He said. (NO!)

I laughed harder, madly almost.

(They'll come back!) He screamed desperately.

(No!) I said, and laughed. (They won't! They're gone, Sub-Visser. GONE!) I laughed again. (Just you and me, Sub-Visser.)

(No!) He whispered, fiercely.

(Yes, yes. Just you and me, for three, nice long days.)

(NO!) He screamed. He desparately tried to move me. To move the boulders.

I cried out in pain. (Stop it, you idiot! There's nothing we can do!)

(You'll die too!) He said, and stopped struggling. (You will! You'll DIE!)

(Ha!) I scoffed in reply.

(You will!) He screamed. (You'll...you'll bleed to death! Or starve! Or die of thirst! Or you'll be crushed to death by this!) He moved my hands to touch the boulder on my chest.

I tried not to let him see the fear. It _was_ getting a little heavy...

He began to laugh. (See! SEE!) He laughed madly.

(You'll die first!) I snapped.

(Ha! We'll soon see, won't we? You're in a lot of pain aren't you Princess?) He sneered.

I ignored him.

(Yes...you're bleeding. Losing a lot of blood.)

(AND I BET YOU'RE HUNGRY!) I screamed back a him.

(No...no...not yet.) He laughed. (Actually, I'm quite fine. But you...oh...you're in bad shape...heh heh heh heh heh...)

(You won't be for long!) I snapped. (You won't be able to escape, like me!)

He sneered.

(And I'll enjoy it!) I said. (I'll enjoy every minute of your starving, weak, SUFFERING!) I screamed at him.

Suddenly he was silent.

I began to feel a cold shiver down my spine.

(Sub-Visser?) I asked, tentatively.

Suddenly,

(AAAHHH!) I screamed in terror.

_...There was a male! He...he was opening the door to my quarters! I was just an Aristh. What did he want with me? It was late! I was sleeping and now he...he's coming in and...he's... he's touching me! I'm just an Aristh! What is he doing? Why- _

(AAAAHHHHH!) I screamed again, this time in mental and emotional pain.

The Sub-Visser had speeded the memory up to the worst part...

(No! Nooo! Stop! Please! Stop!)

He began to laugh. He played the memory over again.

(Stop!) I screamed, sobbing. (STOP! Stop! Please, just stop!)

(No.) He hissed, stopping it suddenly. (No! I'll never stop. It's what you deserve for that little comment you made. And you'll get more. For every little comment you make, you'll get much, much more! Is that understood, SLAVE?!)

(NO!) I spat back at him, in my head. I wouldn't beg him to stop anymore! I was through with begging.

(Fine.) He hissed, cold in my head. And my spine shivered again in a cold sweat. (Fine. It'll be that way. If that's really how you want it...)

And while I lay there, trapped, helpless, for hours, he tortured and tormented me...


	20. Visser Three drops in

**Gafinalan**

It was the next day.

My visit with Daisy had been...well...nice, I had to admit.

She didn't ask again about the bowl. We kept laughing about my earlier clumsiness.

I smiled as I relaxed in the greenhouse, thinking of her now. She was definitely nice. Mertil was helping me tend the plants, as he usually did. His bruises were fast healing. I was glad at how he just seemed to forget and move on. He had that ability. To just move on with life. I admired him for it.

I wondered how he would move on after I...

It was something we didn't discuss. We avoided it by only talking about the present. Saying things like (Well maybe today we can plant those.) Or (Maybe tomorrow we'll get around to that.) There was never any (Next month we could...). We just focused on today, tomorrow, and sometimes we had the gall to look at next week. We just avoided it, somehow. It was better that way. It kept us both sane.

Jake had called us and told us he'd found Princess Kaetila. But she was a Controller.

Of course, he'd done it in a very discreet way...

"Hey Henry! It's Jake!"

"Hello Jake!"

"Yeah...you know. We found her!"

"You did? The t.v?"

"Yep. Can't find the remote _controller_ though..."

"Oh, well, that's too bad..."

"Yeah, well. Maybe we could do something for _her_. I don't know. Well, nice talking to ya, Henry! Bye!"

"Bye Jake!"

It sounds stupid, but I was able to gather from that that they'd found her. And she was a Controller. It was a pity. It truly was. She could have been a great asset to the team.

But what mostly made me sick was that there was another Andalite-Controller besides Alloran, and that bothered me greatly.

(Mertil.) I'd told him. (It's count 2 now.)

(Two?) He'd stared, shocked. (Who? How?!)

(Kaetila. They captured her.)

(Captured?) He said sadly, shocked. (That's awful.)

I had shrugged, another thing I'd picked up from humans. (I guess that's just how it is. She risked it coming out here on a ship, anyway! They all did! And what were they doing with one ship anyway?!)

(I guess that was all they could spare.) He had replied, looking very depressed. More so than usual anyway.

Today we were just relaxing and enjoying the warm sun. I was kind of nervous. I kept expecting Jake or even Daisy to show up again. I didn't have work today, so I had stayed home. In a way, I almost hoped Daisy would show up again.

At about lunch time, I heard the screech of brakes outside in the driveway.

I tensed up. My eyestalks looked to Mertil.

His head snapped up fearfully from the plant he was pruning. His main eyes looked to me; terror written all over his face.

I quickly left the greenhouse and went into the kitchen I stood for a few seconds listening.

BA- BOOM!

The door had been kicked open!

FWAP I flicked my tail and knocked out the first Hork-Bajir that came in.

He fell down. I hurried to the secret room.

I got there and quickly pulled out a shredder. I ran back to the living room.

Controllers were pouring in. I fired and kept firing.

(MERTIL!) I yelled. They were sure as Taxxon bile not going to take him while I was here. (STAY IN THE GREENHOUSE!)

He had either already been taken, or he was obeying me, but he did not reply.

Soon they were smashing open the front windows. I fired and fired.

But they got in through the back windows as well. With my tail blade, I knocked down a Hork-Bajir that was about to strike my flank.

One came bursting through the damn bedroom wall, and others poured after him. They swarmed over me. One pinned my tail. I fought, but soon I was on my stomach. They tried to take my shredder. I stomped it into pieces with my foot. The Hork-Bajir that had tried to take it struck me across the face. I looked calmly back at him. I would never let them take any Andalite technology, the filthy slugs.

They dragged Mertil in a few moments later. He looked nervously back at them.

(So...) A voice said. I looked up. The Visser had just stepped in through the door. (Where is she?) He said casually.

I sneered. (She? Who is she?) Though I knew quite well who 'she' was. I just didn't understand what he meant by where she was. Had I misunderstood Jake's message? Had the Animorphs rescued her?

He strolled quickly over to me.

FWAP! His tail cracked across my face.

I struggled against the Hork-Bajir that restrained me.

I would rip his tail off and shove it right up his-

(WHERE IS THE FEMALE, YOU IDIOT FOOL?) He bellowed at me.

(WHAT FEMALE?) I roared back. (DO YOU SEE ANY 'FEMALES' AROUND HERE YOU WALKING, TALKING LUMP OF TAXXON DUNG?)

He stared back. He looked enraged. He looked over at Mertil. Mertil looked down at the ground.

(YOU! VECOL!) The Visser sounded somewhat desperate.

He lifted Mertil's face up to look at his with the point of his tail blade.

(Where is she?) He said in a low, dangerous voice.

Mertil looked the Visser in the eyes steadily. If he so much as winced or looked uncertain...

I felt my hearts roaring in my ears.

(Do I look like I know any females?) Mertil replied softly.

The silence stretched, making me want to retch my morning's grass and expel it out of my hooves.

The Visser looked down at the floor. His tail dropped. (No.) He said.

Mertil watched him warily, then looked down at the floor also.

(Visser?) A Human Controller spoke quietly, nervously.

(What?) The Visser snapped, in a low voice.

(What do you want us to do with these Andalites?)

(Leave them.) He muttered.

"What?" The Controller said, having not heard.

The Visser flung out his tail, knocking the human over. (I SAID LEAVE THEM! Leave them!) He looked desperately around. (Leave them alone. The female isn't here.)

He turned to go. But before he did, he looked back over his shoulder at me, smiling.

(Destroy all of their shields, and any other equipment. Burn the greenhouse.)

(NO!) Mertil yelled.

(Mertil! Quiet!)

(You FILTH!) He yelled at the Abomination. (He's ILL! He needs it! You'll kill him!)

The Abomination looked back at him and laughed. Then he turned his head towards the door, and strolled out imperially.

The Hork-Bajir Controllers and Human Controllers went to do his bidding.


	21. Death Alone?

YAY! Another chappie!

Okay, I've like, started school back and stuff, so like, like, like, totally and all! Oh. My. Gosh!

Enjoy. And all that like, stuff.

_Playground schoolbell rings, again  
Rainclouds come to play, again  
Has no one told you she's not breathing ?  
Hello, I'm your mind, giving you someone to talk to  
Hello  
  
If I smile and don't believe  
Soon I know I'll wake from this dream  
Don't try to fix me  
I'm not broken  
Hello, I'm the lie living for you so you can hide  
Don't cry  
  
Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping  
Hello, I'm still here, all that's left  
Of yesterday..._

**Kaetila **

I lay, broken, helpless, tired.

It was the next afternoon. My fur was caked in blood. I still feared the strong sense of smell of a stray Taxxon.

It was so hard to breathe. My legs were so thirsty. I had struggled all I could. Or the Sub-Visser had anyway.

After I stopped screaming and weeping after a while, he became bored with torturing me mentally, and went back to struggling.

I no longer laughed. I no longer tormented him.

His fear was growing more desperate.

For he had begun to feel the tiniest tinges of hunger...

And his hunger frightened me, because I realized I was joined to the threat of his death, just as he was joined to my mind.

All the memories...I was too weak in body, and now in mind and heart to taunt him. I felt life slowly slipping away.

I thought of my existence now, and everything I had done...and I felt it absolutely pointless...

I had had no personality. I had done nothing great. Hadn't even raised a family...

I had lived entirely for my own survival in my career.

I could have gone home...married...just lived like any other female...

But I had to be stupid. I had to prove myself to my father...

The father who had disowned me. The mother who desperately thoughtscreened me, and begged me to change and apologize and come home. The brother who had worried for me, then encouraged me to do what I wanted. The perfect sister who asked me why I couldn't just be like everyone else...

But I'd never really known what I wanted.

And now it seemed I never would...

I began to weep as these thoughts came me, covering me in more mud, dragging me further into my pit...

I lay there with the Yeerk's curses in my head; at times his wild, desperate sobbing, then his anger, directed at me, at the trees, at the very wind, the rocks that trapped us, anything that would listen.

Hour by hour slowly...oh so slowly...passed...

I needed to feed as well. The hunger was unbelievable.

And with shock I realized I could no longer feel my left rear leg...

The hot sun blazed down. It was afternoon, and it was starting to get less intense, but midday had been agony. And I was sure I was going to die then. What was I doing still alive?

I wanted to live...I wanted to escape.

But I didn't help him struggle.

If I did, and we escaped, he would rule over me again...

And I could never live like that...

Being dominated was one thing. I've been dominated before. Domination I can stand.

Cruelty I cannot.

My legs were so dry...

I was feverish. Even my eye balls felt hot. I couldn't feel my eyestalks.

I would die if I had to take another day of heat...

But I would not help that Yeerk survive to torment anyone else...ever...

(So I'll die.) I said simply, and closed my eyes, to sleep again.

Hoo! Okay. Obviously the song at the beginning is by Evanescence (WOOT WOOT and GO AMY!). I don't know if it really went with the whole 'near death' thing or not, but you can tell me in a REVIEW! Clicky on the button pleeze! Type ze review pleeze!


	22. Kaetila's like, freed and junk! Oh my go...

Okay, sorry if that chappie was sad. But it's going to get better very, very soon.

Like, now.

I'd like to give late credit to Evanescence for the song 'Hello', at the beginning of the last chappie! I realize I didn't really say that in the last chappie except at the end.

I do not own Animorphs (no friggin' duh!) But I do own Kaetila and the little boy in this chapter.

And the Yeerk.

Ahem. Anyways. Sorry I haven't updated in a while.

Enjoy!

**Kaetila **

I lie there, the Yeerk almost gone.

He was dying.

I was getting flashes of his past hosts.

Mostly humans.

Two men. One woman. Farther back, a Hork-Bajir. A Gedd.

They had all fought him. Even the Gedd, though he cowered at first, ultimately, seeing his life go by, he fought.

I felt their sorrow at being used. Being helpless.

I saw their anger at their lives being used by someone else.

And I felt shame.

Because I knew that had they seen my life, they would have felt anger.

I had served myself completely, and had only thought of me, and had never cared to make anything out of myself. I had only cared of the petty present, when I should have thought about my future. When I should have thought about making myself into something useful, using my health to help others, I served myself completely.

(No...) The Yeerk said, shocked. (It can't be...I...I was just promoted...I...)

(So was I...) I thought softly.

(You...you...won't live...) He said.

(No.) I told myself, honestly. (I won't live.) And I felt my whole body relaxing. I would die.

(You...won't... live....) He let out a weak, cruel laugh.

And the Yeerk left me.

And I felt him slide slimy from my ear. He lie there next to me for a few moments, and then, I felt him disintegrate.

I lie there for a few more hours, staring at the sky.

A cool breeze was blowing.

To guide me into the next world. I thought, with a slight smile.

The sun glared down. I was so hot. Fever burned my nose and eyes and forehead.

As I thought of my life, and the life that I had lived, and all that I had done, I thought,

I deserve this. This is the death of a coward. A slow, and miserable death that any coward deserves.

You weren't a coward. A voice in my head said. A voice deep in me.

No, but I was a whore.

I began to cry with that thought.

What is the use of regretting it now? The gentle voice insisted. You still have life! You can still live!

(No.) I thought. (No reason to.)

But do you really want to die either?

I lie there ignoring the voice, and deciding to sleep.

Come on! You can do this! You're not a little aristh anymore, remember?

I smirked. Don't remind me, I know I'm not innocent.

You are NOT a whore anymore! You are a PRINCESS!

I opened my eyes with that thought.

(I am.) I said, realizing.

You must live! This new voice said. You must prove to them! You don't want them to say that you died because you were weak, do you? You don't want them to say you died because you were a weak female do you?

(By the stars in the sky no!) I yelled, feeling the life blood pumping through me again.

Then don't just lie there! You are free now! You can use your freedom like you never did before! You can change! You don't have to die, you don't have be the way you were before either!

(Yes!) I said. (Yes!) I thought, weeping happily at having found the life in me again.

I struggled against the rock.

No avail.

(Oooh noooo!) I groaned. I couldn't even feel my legs.

So weak...so hungry...

( I will live!) I told myself.

I struggled against it.

No way. There was no way I could do this on my own.

Call for help. Maybe...maybe the Andalite bandits would hear!

Maybe anyone would hear! If the Yeerks heard, they would free me, and I could fight back! Morph kafit bird and flee before they could take me.

I laughed at that, but mostly at myself.

What was wrong with me? I felt incredible! I felt happy, truly happy and ready to live. No matter how bad it got in life, I would live on.

Because I had already been through the worst life offered.

Rape. Slavery. Violence. Injury.

And I had still lived. It had only made me stronger.

(But this is insane!) I said, laughing.

Maybe it was, but I was really, really enjoying insanity then!

With that enthusiasm, I began to call out.

(Please! Help me!) I called. (Help!) I'm trapped!)

I lie there for several more minutes, calling.

After about ten minutes, I heard crashing noises in the woods above me.

And before I realized what was happening, a young human stood, at the top of the ledge above me, looking around. He wasn't looking down, so he didn't see me.

"That was so weird!" He exclaimed. "I heard a voice in my head! Man, I must be crazy!"

He began to turn around.

(NO! Please! Don't leave me here!)

He stopped. He turned back to me. He looked down.

His eyes widened.

"Holy crap! What the-"

(Please! Don't be scared! Help me!)

"You...you were the one talking in my head! Calling for help!" He began to move down the ledge as he said this, scuttling and sliding down the hill right by it. He came to stand near my head.

"But...what are you?"

I decided this was not a Controller. He would have surely known what I was, had he been one.

No reason to lie...

(I...I am an Andalite. We are a race from the stars.)

"Aliens? Oh man! I knew it! Dude! Jeremy is so not gonna believe me! Oh man! This is so cool!"

I stared at him. Ah well. Help was help. So what if he was a little...mad?

(Please help me! I am trapped under this rock!)

"Yeah. I see. Uh..." He looked around. "Hmm...hey, are you okay? I mean, can you like, breathe and stuff?"

I stared. Breathe and stuff? (Yyyes...I can breathe...) Otherwise I wouldn't be alive...

"Well... I'll try to move it!"

The young human began to push at the rock above me. He struggled. He almost moved it a little.

Nothing changed. I sighed.

(Oh no...) I groaned. Then I thought. (I'll try morphing.)

The Yeerk had known that morphing would not help us. The smallest morph I had was a kafit bird. And wedged in as we were, that probably wouldn't have helped.

But unlike him, I was willing to try.

I did.

Well, it didn't change much. I was still wedged in, though now I had more breathing room. I also had much more energy now. And my wounds were gone. I found I was able to focus more on the task at hand.

"Hey! Where'd you go? Oh man! It disappeared!"

(No! Don't leave! I'm still here!)

He peered over the rock at me.

"Wha? You have a bird form? Oh cool!"

I was puzzled. (Humans can morph?)

"Morph? What's that?"

(It's...ah...it's where you can change shape. To any animal you touch.)

"Oh cool man!"

(Well...I still can't get out! Isn't there something else you can do?)

He seemed to be thinking. "Ah...erm..."

He got it. "Oh! Okay! Um...wait just a sec.!"

He began to run off up the hill again. I felt panic rising in me.

(Wait!) I cried. (Don't leave me!)

"DON'T WORRY! I'LL BE BACK! I PROMISE! I JUST HAVE TO GET MY BASEBALL BAT! IT'S BACK AT THE CAMPGROUND!"

(Baseball bat?) I tried out the phrase slowly. I was very confused.

Baseball? We had games on my planet involving balls, but what did such a game have to do with bases? Did they play it on a military base? Bats? I thought bats were winged Earth animals! How was a tiny mammal with wings going to get me out of here?

( I could acquire it!) I cried happily. Bats were smaller than kafit birds...maybe...I couldn't remember!

The rock was huge, and frightening as a kafit bird, I demorphed.

I sucked in my breath as it grew tight around me again. Exhaled a little.

I lie there a few more moments.

Suddenly I began to get a strange sensation.

On my left leg...

It was where it had been before...I hadn't been able to feel anything...but now...

There were little things...moving in my fur...and...

(OW!)

Biting me!

(Ah!)

They were biting my leg!

(Eeeh! EEEEEh! OH! OWW!) I began to struggle.

(Help! Hurry up! Oh please! Hurry up little human!) I cried.

"I'M COMING!" He yelled as he came pulting through the forest and sliding down the hill again. I feared he would fall and hurt himself and I'd be overtaken by the pinchy bitey creatures and be alone and trapped again, but he maintained his balance and health to my surprise.

Precarious creatures humans are; waddling about on two legs!

He raced to me. "What is it?"

(Some things are biting my leg! AH!)

He peered behind the rock that imprisoned me.

"Oh CRAP! THOSE ARE ANTS!"

(Ants? What are ants?) I cried.

"You really, really don't want to know right now!" He assured me. I stared at what he was holding. It was a strange, metal, cylindrical object that shined in the hot sun, and the cylinder narrowed down as it reached a part where he gripped it in his hands.

He jammed this strange object between the rock that was pinning me, and the one next to it. He pulled back, pushing the rock on top of me, to my left!

(Of course!) I cried. (OW!) A lever! What a little genius!

He pulled. "Help me!" He cried through gritted teeth.

I strained up against the rock. I tried to wiggle onto my stomach so I could push up against it with my back, but only got to my side. My leg pulled away from the mischievous creatures the little human had called 'ants', but now some from my left leg were transferring onto my right, and my right was quite close to where my left had been!

(No!) I cried, feeling like weeping. (Ahh!) Oh the pain!

The little human struggled. He looked about to cry to. He pulled. The bat bent a little. He saw it, stopped, but then kept pulling.

The rock lifted!

I squirmed forward!

Still stuck!

With a small burst of near final energy, I struggled forward anyway, scraping and scratching my side, belly, and back against the rock walls around me.

I popped out from between the rocks.

("YES!") The human and I cried in unison. He let go of the bat.

My tail blade was still stuck! Ah!

I pulled on it roughly, pulling it hard. The human left his bat in the crack between the rock, and jumped to my side to help me, and grabbed onto my tail and pulled with me.

I felt it break, (AH!), but kept pulling until it came out.

I fell onto the ground, finally free of my prison.

"Your tail!" He said, pointing at it.

(It's alright. I can morph.) I said. (It will fix the injury. AH!) I cried again. What the-

Ants! They were still on my legs. I groaned in agony.

"Quick! I know where there's a stream!" He said. "Follow me!"

He ran to my right, going deeper into the forest. I followed quickly.

"It's right here!" He said, triumphantly. "Jump in! It'll drown them!"

I did.

(Ah,) I said, relieved as they began to come off of my legs, slowly, but surely. I kicked my legs around in the water.

The little human stood chuckling at me, or to be more precise, my sigh of relief.

I swam about in the water, happily, so relaxed suddenly.

I hadn't felt water all about me in so long. It reminded me of my thirst. I drank deeply, though away from where all the ants had drowned, moving upstream from them.

I was right at the base of a small waterfall, going over the ledge off which I had fallen.

It was all so serene and beautiful. The little human sat and watched, smiling, while I treated myself and went under the spray of the waterfall.

Oh it was so incredible and beautiful.

_Not a bad start to the first day of my new life as Princess Kaetila... _

Okay, no more updates 'till SOMEBODY REVIEWS!!!


	23. Daisy's Discovery

Okay, I've been preparing this story for the actual love story part long enough!

Let's get this love story on the road!

**Daisy **

I woke up that morning, having slept in late. I didn't feel like going to work.

I felt too good to go!

And I wanted to maybe talk to Henry again.

We had such a nice conversation the day before!

I got up out my bed and slipped my feet into my shaggy furry slippers.

Hush barked at me in the kitchen.

"What is it baby?" I said. "What's wong poochie poo?"

I walked over to my sink. I peered out the window.

"Oh! Holy crap!" I yelled.

A huge cloud of smoke billowed up from the McClellan house!

"Oh no!" I stared in shock. "HENRY!" I screamed.

I ran out the front door, in my sleeping shorts and grey university sweater.

I ran to Henry's house. I had left the door open and Hush stood at the door barking, but I couldn't worry about that now! Henry could be...

I didn't want to even think about it. I ran, practically lunging at the door.

I ripped at it. It came...open! It was unlocked!

Unlocked?!

I ran inside. Through the living room and kitchen. To the strange greenhouse entrance.

Fire blazed inside of it. I screamed and pulled back.

Once in the kitchen, I slammed the door to it shut.

I stood in the kitchen, panting. My face covered in sweat.

"Henry..." I said, weakly. The greenhouse...

Had he been...

I shook my head trying to hold back the tears. No. Please no...

It couldn't be. He was probably just at work. Someone had broken in maybe...

I hurried into the living room. I should call the fire department!

Maybe he was in the house!

I grabbed the portable phone on the end table next to the couch and hurried down the hall.

What if he was asleep? I had to wake him! He could-

"AAAAAAHHH!" I screamed, dropping the phone.

A...a...a...THING stared at me!

**Mertil**

(Oh. No.)

"AAAAAAAAAAHHH!" The human known as Daisy screamed again.

(Shhh! Shhh!) I said softly, putting my hands out beseechingly.

How on Earth had she gotten in here?!

The door! Of course! We'd left it unlocked!

I should have known!

"AAAAAAAHHH!" She insisted.

(Please! Please! I will not hurt you! I cannot!) I moved forward slowly. I got down on my stomach.

"Wha...what are you?" She yelled, trembling and backing up still.

(I...I am an Andalite.)

"What's THAT?"

(We are another race from the stars. Do not be afraid. I will not hurt you.)

"How come I hear you talking in my head?" She cried, putting her hands over her ears.

(I speak telepathically. All of my people do.)

"Are there other Anda..." She sighed. "Whatever your people are, here?" She said softly.

(Well, yes. Gafinalan, my friend. We both live here, in this house.)

"But...but I don't understand! Where..." She began to cry, and I felt pity for her, feeling her confusion and frustration. "Where is Henry?" She said weakly.

She fell down on her knees onto the floor and covered her face with her hands.

I looked sorrowfully at her. I slowly moved forward.

(There now. Don't worry.) I said softly. I patted her shoulder with one hand. I understand this gesture can be comforting to humans in distress. (Henry...he is fine...)

She looked up at me hopefully. "You mean he's alive?"

(Well...) I said. I thought quickly. What could I say? Sort of?

I sighed. (Look, I have some news for you that may be...somewhat difficult to take...)

"Please tell me." She said desperately, putting her hands on my shoulders.

I stared, stunned at her.

Goodness humans adapt quickly! She had already accepted that there were alien species other than humans!

She blushed and removed her hands. "Sorry." She said, smiling akwardly and laughing a little.

(It...it is alright.) I said, still amazed at her mental flexibility. (Do not worry. He is fine. But...you see...Henry...he is...)

"What?" She said. "What?"

(He is not human.) I said softly.

She stared. "What do you mean?" She said, barely above a whisper.

(He is...well...an Andalite...like me.)

She shook her head slowly. "No. It can't be."

I smiled sadly. (It is.)

"But...I don't understand! How? He...you...he looked human!" She screamed.

I smiled at her apologetically again.

"So...where is he?" She said, looking at me.

(Right here.) A voice said softly.

I looked back with my eyestalks. She jumped up and stared.

(Gafinalan!) I said. He had been lying down again. After the Hork-Bajir had started burning everything in the greenhouse, he had tried to fight back. They had beaten him down. He had been in pain.

I looked back at the human. How would she take this?

She was staring in horror over Gafinalan's shoulder.

At his tail blade.

"AAAAAAHHH!"

(Oh no!) I exclaimed. (Here we go again!)

I reached forward and grabbed her arms, restraining her.

(Shhhh! Quiet!)

"Let me go!" She cried. "His tail! Oh my gosh LOOK AT IT! He's huge!" She screamed, struggling.

(He's NOT GOING TO HURT YOU, YOU SILLY FEMALE!) I yelled, fully annoyed now.

She stopped. Actually glared at me.

"I beg your pardon? Excuse you!"

(Sorry.) I apologized. (But he's not going to hurt you!)

"I...I..." She sighed. "I know."

(You do?) I stared.

"Well, yeah, I just realized that he's...well...he's Henry McClellan!" She said, laughing and shaking her head as if disbelieving.

(I am.) Gafinalan said softly.

"Impossible..." Daisy said, as if refusing to believe it.

I laughed softly.

(Oh, I assure you, it's quite possible.)

"But...how?" She said. "I still don't understand!"

I smiled and looked at Gafinalan.

(Maybe we need to tell her. Everything.)

Gafinalan smiled. (Everything.) He said, nodding his head once in agreement.

I turned back to Daisy. So did Gafinalan.

(Would you like some tea?) We both said at the same time.

Hope you guys and gals liked that! Now please REVIEW!


	24. Burning Greenhouses

"Erm. I feel the need to warn you guys. Your green house is on fire."

Gafinalan Henry looked pained. (Yes. We know.)

Mertil smiled. (We shall build a new one.)

"But"

(Really, don't worry about it.) Mertil insisted.

"Won't it spread to the rest of the house"

Gafinalan smiled. (No. I have fixed the force field to surround the house itself, excluding the green house. The sprinkler system I installed in the greenhouse has been set off by the smoke, so there may be something left, when the fire burns out. We will just have to see tomorrow, Mertil.) he said to his friend.

(Yes.) Mertil said softly. Sadly. They seemed fairly optimistic.

Gafinalan smiled at me. (Do not worry about it Daisy.)

I was sitting there thinking, Oh, yeah, sure. I won't worry about anything. The guy I liked just turned out to be a blue, furry, four legged creature. Hm, nothing to worry about there.

I noticed him watching me and smiled.

"I still like you, you know. You can't get off the hook with this alien thing." I said. I then stared, shocked and blushed in embarrassment. Oooh, I really, really hadn't mean to say that out loud.

He smiled with his eyes like he'd been doing (so cute!) and just laughed in thoughtspeak.

(That is good to know. I do not wish to be 'off the hook' with you.)

I grinned.

Mertil seemed a little embarrassed to be wrapped up in our lovey dovey chatter.

Mertil

I stood there akwardly, not wishing to disrupt their conversation, yet wishing to be out fighting the blaze.

I was terribly worried about the Illsipar root! If it burned, we might have nothing for Gafinalan to use for pain killers. True, there were human pain killers. But such might be dangerous. We had no idea what affect these drugs would have on Andalites.

They continued to converse while I stood at the kitchen door, which was hot from the blaze, though the force field kept the fire out of the kitchen and the rest of the house. When I next looked at them, they were both sitting on the couch, close together, talking quietly. I could not help but admire Gafinalan's charisma and ability with females.


	25. The Orchard

Kaetila

The boy wanted to know why I was here, so I told him. I was afraid he was a controller, but he looked pretty small, so I figured I could handle him. I told him all about the Yeerks and why they were here. I figured he had a right to know what he and his people were facing.

I told him no, he could not come fight with me. I told him to go back to his campsite.

Then I asked him if he'd seen anyone else like me, which was rather stupid, as he obviously hadn't.

After that, I bade him farewell. I hoped to someday see the little guy again, though I knew that the odds were that I wouldn't.

I ran not really knowing where I was going. Not really having any clue of time either. Even though I had an internal biological clock, it was still a bit off, since I'd been on and off a ship ever since I'd gotten here and in and out of space and in and out of the atmosphere.

By the time I got a clue, I was exhausted, and it was late, and growing dark.

I came upon a small cliff like hill, that I slid/scurried down, still wary from my past three days of having become trapped by falling off of one.

The scene that awaited me at the bottom was unbelievable.

It was a moonlit, gorgeous field, with trees in neat rows, yet spaced out oddly. These trees probably served some sort of function. From them, hung large, red fruits. I loved the smell of this place. It was exquisite. The grass here was soft and lush and I quickly fed, gorging and quite enjoying myself.

Tired, I allowed my hooves to carry me near a few of the trees, and I allowed my legs to collapse beneath me and to fold comfortably, my belly to the dewy, wet grass.

My eyes closed involuntarily from the sensation of being full and sleepy and content and warm and so...so...comfortable...

Mertil

Daisy left late that afternoon, asking us if we were sure we would be alright. I said yes, we would. I figured since the Visser had already searched for Kaetila here and had not found her, then we would be fine. What would be the purpose of him coming and searching again?

Nothing, I hoped.

Their parting was definitely sweet to watch. I certainly did not miss the way Gafinalan held her hand (still in human form) and tenderly kissed it with his human lips. Nor did I miss the longing I saw in his eyes afterward, for what I believed to be to kiss her cheeks and perhaps her own lips.

I quickly turned my eyestalks away. Something about seeing them gave me great pains.

Gafinalan took off his human clothes and demorphed to Andalite form after seeing her off and closing and locking the front door to the best of his ability (as it was badly damaged from being knocked in by Hork-Bajir).

He was not fooled by my quick retreat to our newly reconstructed hideaway room.

(Mertil, please, if Daisy and I are bothering you?)

(No, really Gafinalan, it is not-)

(Is it because she's human?) he sounded so anxious.

(Honestly Gafinalan, no.)

Anxious that our friendship was in danger...

I smiled. (Gafinalan, who you choose to court is your business.)

He smiled. He knew that I had seen right through him too. I saw a grateful look in his eyes and though it made me feel good, it also made me feel very bad inside, at the same time. Like seeing him with Daisy.

Was I jealous?

No!

Was I jealous?

Perhaps...


	26. Chapter 26

Hey guys! Long time no see! Of course, I've really missed my favorite hobby!

So, yeah, I have come back and returned to bring you - more fanfiction!

So yeah, sorry about the wait/delay or whatever, and enjoy!

**Kaetila**

I awoke the next morning to a pair of clawed feet by my face.

(Oh no...) I groaned, expecting a repeat of the first day of my time on Earth, and expecting to hear Visser Three's voice in my head any second.

But I did not hear such. Instead, when I looked up, I saw a face smiling down at me.

"Hello friend." the Hork-Bajir said excitedly. "Toby say you come today!"

"What?" I said, puzzled.

"Toby. She say you come. You come. Now we go! Come friend! Come!" He motioned towards the woods and for me to follow.

(No...I...don't think I will.) I said, warily. (You...this is a trap! You're a Yeerk!) I held out my tail blade warningly. (Now see here! Don't take a step forward!)

He stood there quietly, still smiling. "Fal Tagut do."

I sighed. It seemed real. He seemed to really just be...well...a Hork-Bajir.

But how could I know for sure.

I looked in the distance behind me with my stalk eyes. There was a human house not too far away. They might come and see me. And chances were they might be yeerks...

(Alright.) I said. (We'll go. But...this better not be a trick Yeerk!)

The Hork-Bajir merely looked surprised and smiled. "Yes. Good. We go."

I allowed him to lead me.

We walked through the woods for several minutes. I was tired and somewhat out of breath when we arrived to our destination. But I could see that it was worth every mile.

(Wow.) I said softly as I beheld the site before me.

Which was a free Hork-Bajir colony.

**Gafinalan **

I sighed happily as I fed. I could see over into Daisy's yard next to ours. Ah yes. So nice.

Daisy...

A simple Earth flower name now meant so much more to me...

Mertil was busily looking through the ruins of our greenhouse, trying to see if there was anything left. He was covered in soot, poor, dear Mertil.

(Mertil, come on now. Take a rest!)

(No...I want to do this!)

I sighed and chuckled. (Well, have you found them yet?)

(No...) he sounded depressed. (They should be right here!)

(You forget my friend, that you are standing on bits of the roof that have caved in.) I supplied, smiling.

(Yes. Well.) he sounded abashed and I grinned at the embarrassed smile on his face.

(How are you and ah, Daisy doing?) he said softly after a while. I smiled at him.

(Mmm. We are doing very, very well.)

I remembered the day before, when we had sat on the couch together, those wispy golden tendrils stroking my face as she spoke to me, her face close to mine. Her dark eyes looking deeply into mine.

_It's so strange sitting here talking with...well..._ she had laughed. _An alien. _

_Strange good? Or strange bad?_

_Strange funny. Strange fun. _

I could still remember her smile. Feel the warmth of it.

I wanted to feel my fingertips touching her hair again, like I had felt last night, when my hand, on the back of the couch, grazed her shoulder so smooth and soft and lightly touched her silken hair. I wanted to see her dark eyes shining so sweetly at me again.

And whenever I was in human morph, all I could think of was her red, full lips.

My Andalite ear perked as I heard the phone ring inside the house.

(Daisy!) I said, before running through the door I had left open, into the kitchen and into the house.

I ran to the phone, and picked it up, only to say hello and then realize that it was useless as I had no mouth and was still in Andalite form. The human telephone would not pick up thoughtspeak.

"Hey. Hey Gafinalan, are you there? It's me, Daisy! Gafinalan! Gafinalan!"

I struggled to think of how to let her know that it was indeed me. I scratched at the phone's receiving end with my finger and then held the other end to my ear again to hear her say "Oh, right. You must be in Andalite form, huh?"

(Yes.) I tried thoughtspeaking to her generally. Perfect! We were not too far out of range with eachother! I didn't even really need the phone.

"Hey! I can hear your thoughtspeak in my head over the phone." I kept the phone on though, as I needed it to listen to her.

(No, you cannot hear it over the phone. You are merely hearing it normally, as you would if we were in here talking right now, or having a conversation. The distance is not far enough to be impossible to thought speak over between your house and my house. The human telephone would not pick up thoughtspeak.)

"Oh, okay." I could almost feel her smiling and smiled myself. "So, how are you doing today."

(Better actually.) I replied.

"Hey, hold on a second. Let me come over!"

(Um...okay.)

She came in my door smiling a few minutes later. Ah, her cheeks were so rosy from the sun. She must have been gardening.

On my planet, gardening is a fun hobby for Andalites. We have a great appreciation for all forms of flowers, vegetation, and plant life as herbivores.

Her hair was curly, a little wild today, but still gorgeous and like Earth honey. Her blue eyes sparkled at me as I began to morph human.

"Oh no, you don't have to do that for me." she said softly.

(Oh no, it's really no trouble, I-)

"No." she said softly again, whispered to me. She placed two fingers on my nose. "Shh." then she giggled, realizing how silly it looked and pulled her hands away and I stopped morphing at feeling the magnificence of her touch in my own natural form.

Her sweet lips planted a human kiss on my Andalite face. My hearts began to pound faster and I began to feel like a giddy kalgi again (a school male child). A feeling I hadn't had in years.

Her hand stroked my cheek, and without realizing it, for she could not have known this little bit of trivia about Andalites, she gave me an Andalite kiss. Warmth filled me and I felt a little weakened and even a little feverish as well.

She giggled. "You Andalites are so cute!"

I chuckled in thoughtspeak happily.

(Ah, thank you my dear.)

She laughed at that. She must have found it amusing for me to call her 'my dear'.

I looked back with one eyestalk to see Mertil in the doorway, covered in ashes and soot. He was in the kitchen doorway, and must have come in from the greenhouse about to ask me a question, when he turned around and walked back out, and away.

(Mertil...) I called out.

But no, he did not answer. He was probably just going to go back to work on clearing the debris and residue from the fire before.

It suddenly occured to me why he had walked away.

My prediction had turned out right.

Poor Mertil really was jealous.


End file.
